‘Quite tired’ Nadal storms through
Osaka, Barty triumph in Melbourne openers
MELBOURNE: Rafael Nadal opened his Australian Open campaign in storming style yesterday as the first Grand Slam of the year finally began after a chaotic build-up dominated by the visa saga engulfing world No.1 Novak Djokovic.
Defending women’s champion Naomi Osaka breezed into the second round as did top seed Ashleigh Barty.
But teenager Coco Gauff was an early big name casualty, the American 17-year-old dumped out in straight sets by China’s Wang Qiang, who is ranked outside the top 100.
The only Australian Open champion in the men’s draw after nine-time winner Djokovic’s sensational deportation, Nadal started his quest to become the first male to win 21 Grand Slams by sweeping aside the 66th-ranked Marcos Giron 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.
There was relief from Nadal that they were at last playing tennis — he said he had grown “quite tired” of talking about his great Serbian rival, for whom he said he still has respect.
“The ideal situation in the world of sport is that the best players are on court, no?” said the Spaniard, who next plays Germany’s Yannick Hanfmann in the second round.
“Honestly I wish him all the best. I think the situation has been a mess. He’s not the only one that did probably the things bad.”
He added: “If the justice says his visa is valid and he’s able to play here, the justice has spoken, so that’s the fairest thing, that he deserve to play here.
“Yesterday the justice said another thing. I will never be against what the justice says.”
Third seed and Olympic champion Alexander Zverev defeated fellow German Daniel Altmaier 7-6 (7/1), 6-1, 7-3 (7-1).
It was business as usual for Japan’s Osaka, who registered her 23rd win in her last 24 matches in the city of Melbourne, with a 6-3, 6-3 win against
Colombia’s Camila Osorio.
Seeded 13 after a disrupted 2021 season in which she said she had suffered “long bouts of depression”, Osaka raced to a 5-0 lead before cruising through in 68 minutes.
“I would say I feel more comfortable in my skin, if that makes sense,” said the 24-year-old, who won the title at Melbourne Park in 2019 and 2021. She will play American Madison Brengle in the second round.
“I just want to have fun, first of all. I can’t expect myself to win every match,
but I do expect myself to have fun and challenge myself.”
World No.1 Barty, who is chasing her first title in her home Grand Slam, beat Ukrainian qualifier Lesia Tsurenko 6-0, 6-1 in 54 minutes.
“This is beautiful, it’s felt like an eternity since I’ve been here,” Barty said of playing in front of her home crowd.
“Playing as well as I did, it was a lot of fun. It felt nice and clean and I did a good job. Overall, I found my forehand and was able to control the court.”
Fourth seed Barbora Krejcikova of
the Czech Republic, the reigning French Open champion, had little problem in blowing away Germany’s Andrea Petkovic 6-2, 6-0 in 67 minutes.
Tunisian ninth seed Ons Jabeur did not even make it onto court as she withdrew because of injury before her match against Spain’s Nuria Parrizas Diaz.
Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic said she was still feeling the effects of Covid-19 a month after falling ill, after she overcome Kristina Mladenovic 6-4, 6-3.
RESULTS
(x denotes seed)
Men’s singles
first round
Gael Monfils (FRA x17) bt Federico Coria (ARG) 6-1, 6-1, 6-3; Christian Garin (CHI x16) bt Facundo Bagnis (ARG) 6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3; Sebastian Korda (USA) bt Cameron Norrie (GBR x12) 6-3, 6-0, 6-4; Tallon Griekspoor (NED) bt Fabio Fognini (ITA) 6-1, 6-4, 6-4; Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP x19) bt Tomas Etcheverry (ARG) 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (7/2); Carlos Alcaraz (ESP x31) bt Alejandro Tabilo (CHI) 6-2, 6-2, 6-3; Matteo Berrettini (ITA x7) bt Brandon Nakashima (USA) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3; Denis Shapovalov (CAN x14) bt Laslo Djere (SRB) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3); Hubert
Hurkacz (POL x10) bt Egor Gerasimov (BLR) 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3; Karen Khachanov (RUS x28) bt Denis Kudla (USA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 7-6 (7/2); Rafael Nadal (ESP x6) bt Marcos Giron (USA) 6-1, 6-4, 6-2; Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) bt Salvatore Caruso (ITA) 6-4, 6-2, 6-1; Alexander Zverev (GER x3) bt Daniel Altmaier (GER) 7-6 (7/1), 6-1, 7-3 (7-1)
Women’s singles First round
Belinda Bencic (SUI x22) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-4, 6-3; Naomi Osaka (JPN x13) bt Maria Camila Osorio (COL) 6-3, 6-3; Jessica Pegula (USA x21) bt Anhelina Kalinina (UKR) 4-6, 7-6 (7/1), 7-5; Veronika Kudermetova (RUS x28) bt Claire Liu (USA) 6-4, 6-4; Maria Sakkari (GRE x5) bt Tatjana Maria (GER) 6-4, 7-6 (7/2); Barbora Krejcikova (CZE x4) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-2, 6-0; Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x26) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 6-1; Victoria Azarenka (BLR x24) bt Panna Udvardy (HUN) 6-3, 6-1; Elina Svitolina (UKR x15) bt Fiona Ferro (FRA) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4); Wang Qiang (CHN) bt Cori Gauff (USA x18) 6-4, 6-2; Sara Sorribes (ESP x32) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-4, 6-1; Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) bt Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) 6-0, 6-1; Madison Keys (USA) bt Sofia Kenin (USA x11) 7-6 (7/2), 7-5