NADAL CRUISES INTO NEXT ROUND
Melbourne, Australia - Top seed Rafael Nadal turned on the style as he launched his bid for a record-equalling 20th Major title at the Australian Open on Tuesday, but falling star Maria Sharapova hit a career low.
Australia's Nick Kyrgios also cantered into the second round, but fourth seed Daniil Medvedev had to fight his way past American Frances Tiafoe in four sets. Nadal, one shy of Roger Federer's Grand Slam mark, dropped only five games as he swatted aside Bolivia's Hugo Dellien 6-2, 6-3, 6-0 in just over two hours at a sunny Rod Laver Arena.
"It was a positive start," said the reigning Roland Garros and US Open champion, wearing a bright pink singlet and matching trainers. "What you want in the first round is just to win, and it's better if it's in straight sets."
Nadal, the first player to be world No 1 in three different decades, is still thriving at 33 but it's a different story for five-time Grand Slam winner Sharapova.
The 32 year old, playing on a wildcard as she wrestles with a shoulder injury, lost 3-6, 4-6 to Croatian 19th seed Donna Vekic, making her an opening-round loser at three straight Grand Slams for the first time.
The future looks uncertain for the former world No 1, who won Wimbledon when she was just 17 but has not reached a Grand Slam final since she lifted the 2014 French Open trophy.
"I can speak about my struggles and the things that I've gone through with my shoulder, but it's not really in my character to," Sharapova said.
Britain's Johanna Konta, a two-time Slam semifinalist, also fell at the first hurdle as she battles to overcome a knee problem, losing 4-6, 2-6 to unseeded Tunisian Ons Jabeur.
Stormy Fognini
On a bumper day of 88 firstround matches, after rain wiped out half of Monday's schedule, former US Open champion Marin Cilic and Milos Raonic both moved safely through.
Italy's Fabio Fognini, two sets down against America's Reilly Opelka when their match was suspended on Monday, returned to win 3-6, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (10-5) after a stormy encounter when both players argued furiously with the umpire.
A new star emerged in 18 year old Italian Jannik Sinner, last year's NextGen champion, who earned his first Grand Slam victory against Australia's Max Purcell. Australia's Kyrgios, who has spearheaded fundraising efforts for the country's deadly bushfire disaster, kept his notorious temper in check despite being taken to two tie-breaks in a 6-2, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-1) win over Lorenzo Sonego of Italy.
Medvedev, the narrow loser to Nadal in September's US Open final, recovered to beat Tiafoe 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 and former winner Stan Wawrinka got past Damir Dzumhur, winning 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 6-4.
Seventh seed Alexander Zverev beat Marco Cecchinato but there was disappointment for France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 2008 finalist, who retired with a back injury against Australia's Alexei Popyrin.
Elsewhere, women's fourth seed Simona Halep survived some painful-looking falls to beat America's Jennifer Brady 7-6 (7-5), 6-1, and 2016 champion Angelique Kerber sailed past Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy 6-2, 6-2.
Other seeded player results: (x denotes seeding): Men's first round: Pablo Carreno-Busta (x27) beat Jozef Kovalík 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-2); Karen Khachanov (x16) beat Mario Vilella 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3; Gael Monfils (x10) beat Lu Yen-Hsun 6-1, 6-4, 6-2; Ernests Gulbis beat Felix Auger-Aliassime (x20) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; Taylor Fritz (x29) beat Tallon Griekspoor 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; Dominic Thiem (x5) beat Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 7-5, 6-2; David Goffin (x11) beat Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 6-3, 6-1; Andrey Rublev (x17) beat Christopher O'Connell 6-3, 0-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5); Nikoloz Basilashvili (x26) beat Kwon Soon-woo 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; Alexander Zverev (x7) beat Marco Cecchinato 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3; Hubert Hurkacz (x31) beat Dennis Novak 6-7 (4-7), 1-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4; Milos Raonic (x32) beat Lorenzo Giustino 6-2, 6-1, 6-3; Benoît Paire (x21) beat CedrikMarcel Stebe 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7 (2-7), 6-0; Roberto Bautista (x9) beat Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 6-2, 7-5; Diego Schwartzman (x14) beat Lloyd Harris 6-4, 6-2, 6-2; Dusan Lajovic (x24) beat Kyle Edmund 7-6 (9-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).
Women's singles first round: Elena Rybakina (x29) beat Bernarda Pera 6-3, 6-2; Alison Riske (x18) beat Wang Yafan 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 6-3; Madison Keys (x10) beat Darya Kasatkina 6-3, 6-1; Maria Sakkari (x22) beat Margarita Gasparyan 6-2, 6-2; Dayana Yastremska (x23) beat Kaja Juvan 6-1, 6-1; Wang Qiang (x27) beat Pauline Parmentier 7-6 (7-2), 6-3; Belinda Bencic (x6) beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3, 7-5; Karolina Muchova (x20) beat Kirsten Flipkens 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (10-7); Danielle Collins (x26) beat Vitalia Diatchenko 6-1, 3-6, 6-4; Elina Svitolina (x5) beat Katie Boulter 6-4, 7-5; Ajla Tomljanovic beat Anastasija Sevastova (x31) 6-1, 6-1; Zarina Diyas beat Amanda Anisimova (x21) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; Kiki Bertens (x9) beat Irina Begu 6-1, 6-4; Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Marketa Vondrousova (x15) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4; Karolina Pliskova (x2) beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-1, 7-5.