Men’s defending champion Rafael Nadal and women’s top seed Iga Swiatek fought into the second round of the Australian Open here on Monday.
Nadal dropped a set but prevailed in a battle of fitness against rising talent Jack Draper to advance with an unconvincing 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 win.
Fellow-lefthander Draper played superbly to level the match at a set all on a warm and humid afternoon at Rod Laver Arena but the 21-yearold Briton was soon overwhelmed by cramping and bowed out groaning in pain.
It was something of an escape for top seed Nadal, who came into the match with only one win since the US Open and was far from his best in a match that threw up unexpected challenges.
“I need a victory, so that’s the main thing. Doesn’t matter the way,” Nadal, 36, told reporters.
“I was humble enough to accept that (there were) going to be a little bit ups and downs during the match. Typical thing when you are not in a winning mood.”
It was a far cry from Nadal’s last match at centre court when he came back from two sets down to topple Daniil Medvedev in a classic final and claim his second Australian Open crown.
Following Barty
Swiatek took time to get going but found her way past Jule Niemeier, beating the German 6-4, 7-5 for a slightly unconvincing start.
Having also been put through the wringer by the big-hitting Niemeier in their previous meeting, Swiatek raised her game when needed to avoid becoming only the second top seed to fall at the Australian Open’s first hurdle after Virginia Ruzici in 1979.
In a rematch of their US Open fourth-round meeting where Swiatek battled from a set and break down to prevail, the Pole revved up her backhand to save two break points before a nervy hold as Niemeier gave her little room to work the angles.
But the top seed targeted world No. 68 Niemeier’s serve to grab the decisive break and with it the opening set, before surrendering serve early in the next only to hit back from 2-0 down to level at 5-5 before going on to seal the victory.
Swiatek, who has been backed to stamp her authority on the women’s game by winning the title vacated by retired local favourite Ash Barty, said she planned to follow the example of the latter and “be in the bubble” to cut down on social media use in a bid to shut out the noise after a period of complacency.
Rybakina unperturbed
Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina shrugged off having to play her match on an outer court at Melbourne Park, saying she did not care where she competed as long as she can cap it off with confidence-boosting wins.
The Russian-born Kazakh got just that on court 13 with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Elisabetta Cocciaretto, the runner-up at last week’s Hobart International and said she had no problem being away from the spotlight.
Raducanu prevails
Emma Raducanu was pleased with how her ankle held up in her first match since picking up an injury in the build-up to the Australian Open, saying that getting on court had eased any lingering worries she had.
The 20-year-old sparked fears she could miss the year’s first grand slam after retiring hurt from her second-round match at the Auckland Classic.
Raducanu wasted little time in reaching the second round, dismissing Tamara Korpatsch 6-3, 6-2 to set up a showdown with French Open runner-up Coco Gauff.
The Briton said the injury did not play on her mind once she found her groove.
In-form Americans Jessica Pegula and Gauff wasted little time in racing into the second round.
Pegula, seeded third, took less than an hour to see off Jaqueline Cristian 6-0, 6-1. Gauff confirmed her good form with a 6-1, 6-4 win over Katerina Siniakova on the Rod Laver Arena.
Amanda Anisimova was unable to continue the good start for American women as the 28th seed tumbled out 6-3, 6-4 at the hands of Ukrainian Marta Kostyuk.
Canadian Bianca Andreescu, the 2020 champion at Flushing Meadows, beat Marie Bouzkova 6-2, 6-4.
Nervy Azarenka
Victoria Azarenka confessed to some nerves before coming through a tough first-round battle against Sofia Kenin 6-4, 7-6(3) to ensure she would be the only former Australian Open champion remaining in the women’s draw.
Boost for China
Teenager Shang Juncheng said his breakthrough victory in the first round was “huge” for Chinese men’s tennis, and hoped it would lay the platform for more success to match the country’s women.
The 17-year-old became the first male player from China to win a main draw singles match at the tournament in the open era when he stunned German Oscar Otte 6-2, 6-4, 6-7(2), 7-5 on his grand slam debut as the youngest player in the men’s draw.
Italian 15th seed Jannik Sinner, a quarter-finalist last year, rolled over Briton Kyle Edmund 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.
