Welcome to our dwell protection of day one of many Australian Open.
Without Ash Barty to defend her title and carry native hopes, anticipate Nick Kyrgios and nine-time winner Novak Djokovic to dominate the discourse at Melbourne Park in 2023.
Kyrgios is already making headlines on day one after being caught flouting Victoria’s highway guidelines (see beneath), however neither he or the Djoker are enjoying as we speak.
Rafael Nadal, Daniil Medvedev, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff are the headline acts when play begins at 11am (AEDT).
7.15am — Kyrgios, girlfriend seem to flout Victoria highway guidelines
Nick Kyrgios’ would possibly discover himself in scorching water after being noticed driving an e-scooter with no helmet in Melbourne on Sunday.
The Aussie tennis star and what seemed to be his girlfriend, Costeen Hatzi, had been photographed on Elizabeth St.
Victorian highway guidelines require e-scooter riders to put on authorised bicycle helmets.
News.com.au has contacted Victoria Police concerning the incident.
Kyrgios opens his Australian Open marketing campaign in opposition to Roman Safiullin at 7pm on Tuesday night time.
7am — Stosur lastly able to put her ft up
Veteran Sam Stosur has introduced the Australian Open shall be her closing event, ending a 23-year profession wherein she received a singles Grand Slam title and 7 others in doubles.
The 38-year-old Australian’s biggest second got here when she defeated Serena Williams to win the singles crown on the 2011 US Open, which she described as “the pinnacle” of her profession.
This week will mark her twenty first Australian Open.
“That was certainly a dream of mine to achieve that, and I did,” she informed reporters of her Flushing Meadows triumph. “That’s a moment I’ll never forget.
“I’m very fortunate that I have so many great memories, yeah, from the sport, winning, losing, travelling, on and off the court,” she added at Melbourne Park, the place she is going to play within the doubles with France’s Alize Cornet.
Stosur reached a career-high rating of 4 on the earth in singles and one in doubles after making her Grand Slam debut on the 2002 Australian Open.
She received 4 Grand Slam girls’s doubles titles, most lately on the 2021 US Open alongside China’s Zhang Shuai, and three blended doubles titles.
“I didn’t know what I could do,” she stated, trying again to her skilled debut greater than 20 years in the past.
“I dreamt what I would like to do and I certainly achieved that and way more than what I could have ever imagined. So I can walk away being very proud.”
6.45am — Nadal going through ‘toughest first-round possible’
Rafael Nadal opens his Australian Open title defence Monday feeling susceptible and in opposition to a harmful younger opponent, with girls’s high seed Iga Swiatek additionally going through a tough encounter as she targets a maiden crown.
The first Grand Slam of the 12 months kicks off at Melbourne Park with the boys’s world primary rating at stake and a brand new girls’s champion set to be topped after Ash Barty’s shock retirement following her win final 12 months.
Spanish nice Nadal, 36, has misplaced six of his previous seven matches, together with his opening two this 12 months, forward of a troublesome afternoon conflict on Rod Laver Arena in opposition to Britain’s in-form Jack Draper.
“Probably one of the toughest first-round (games) possible, being seeded,” stated the 22-time Grand Slam winner and high seed. “Young, powerful, growing very, very fast on the ranking, playing well.”
The fast-improving Draper, 21, made the semi-finals of the Adelaide International this week and stated he wouldn’t be overawed, regardless of Nadal being an idol.
“I want to go and compete hard and really play well and I want to go and win the match, of course. So that will be the plan,” he stated.
Nadal surged to the title final 12 months with an exciting five-set win over Russia’s Daniil Medvedev, who faces American Marcos Giron on centre courtroom in a night match.
His run to a primary Australian crown since 2009 got here within the absence of nine-time champion Novak Djokovic, who’s again this 12 months and heavy favorite after lacking the 2022 occasion when he was deported over his Covid vaccination stance.
The 35-year-old Serbian begins on Tuesday in opposition to Spain’s Roberto Carballes Baena, bidding not only for a tenth title and to equal Nadal’s 22 Slams, however to reclaim the highest world rating.
“I like my chances,” stated Djokovic, who’s in kind, successful at Adelaide final week after ending 2022 with one other ATP Finals triumph.
He can return to the highest by lifting the trophy. So can Norway’s Casper Ruud and Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas, based on the governing physique ATP.
World quantity three Ruud may also change into world primary by reaching the ultimate, as lengthy neither Djokovic nor Tsitsipas win the title.
If none of these eventualities play out, the reign of Carlos Alcaraz, who will not be enjoying in Melbourne attributable to harm, will proceed.
Tsitsipas opens his marketing campaign in opposition to France’s Quentin Halys on Margaret Court Arena, with Ruud in motion on Tuesday.
Top seed Swiatek is the clear favorite having dominated girls’s tennis following the retirement in March final 12 months of Barty.
The Pole secured eight WTA titles in 2022 and have become the primary girl in six years to win two Grand Slams in the identical season — at Roland Garros and New York.
With retired nice Serena Williams and two-time Melbourne winner Naomi Osaka additionally lacking, it’s virtually sure that there shall be a brand new identify on the Daphne Akhurst trophy.
The solely former titleholders within the draw are out-of-sorts Sofia Kenin, who received in 2020, and Victoria Azarenka, whose second Australian Open triumph was a decade in the past.
Swiatek begins on Monday in opposition to Jule Neimeier, the German world quantity 68 who reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon final 12 months.
— with AFP
