20 Jan 2020

Osaka makes net-busting start to Australian Open title defence

Melbourne - Naomi Osaka began her Australian Open title defence in emphatic fashion, breaking the net with a blockbuster serve as she dismantled unseeded Czech Marie Bouzkova on Monday.

The 22-year-old Japanese, the world's second highest-paid female athlete after Serena Williams, powered through 6-2, 6-4 in 80 minutes.

The two-time Grand Slam champion, one of the prime threats to Williams's bid to win a record-equalling 24th major, will play China's Zheng Saisai in round two.

Thrid seed Osaka saw her victory march held up for a few minutes early in the second set after a fizzing serve clocked at 183 kilometres per hour damaged a net tether at the 15 000-capacity Rod Laver Arena.

"Broke the net today," Osaka tweeted afterwards to her more than 500 000 followers, along with a video of three maintenance personnel rushing onto court to repair the broken fixture.

Osaka, who endured a turbulent 2019 after winning in Melbourne 12 months ago, was relieved to overcome the 59th-ranked Bouzkova safely.

"It was really tough for me trying to control my nerves," she said. "It's tough to play someone you've never played before in the first round of a Grand Slam. I hope I'm still standing here at the end of this week."

Osaka has spoken openly about her struggles with negative headlines and the weight of expectation, but was in relaxed mood throughout.

It was partly because her Haitian father Leonard Francois, who was her coach for back-to-back titles in the autumn in Japan and China, was in her player's box for the first time at a Grand Slam.

"Before when he used to sit in my box I would just look at him and complain a lot," the former number one Osaka told a press conference, calling her father "superstitious".

"But I have matured over the past three or four years he hasn't sat in my box.

"He was my coach during Tokyo and Beijing and was sitting in my box the entire time.

Collated results on day one of the Australian Open Grand Slam at Melbourne Park on Monday:

Men's singles

1st round

Matteo Berrettini (ITA x8) bt Andrew Harris (AUS) 6-3, 6-1, 6-3

Ricardas Berankis (LIT) bt Roberto Carballes (ESP) 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

Sam Querrey (USA) bt Borna Coric (CRO x25) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Guido Pella (ARG x22) bt John-Patrick Smith (AUS) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4

Gregoire Barrere (FRA) bt Mohamed Safwat (EGY) 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5)

Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Denis Shapovalov (CAN x13) 6-3, 6-7 (7/9), 6-1, 7-6 (7/3)

Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x18) bt Juan Ignacio Londero (ARG) 4-6, 6-2, 6-0, 6-4

Daniel Evans (GBR x30) bt Mackenzie McDonald (USA) 3-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3

Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) bt Laslo Djere (SRB) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7/1)

Roger Federer (SUI x3) bt Steve Johnson (USA) 6-3, 6-2, 6-2

Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x6) bt Salvatore Caruso (ITA) 6-0, 6-2, 6-3

Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) bt Marcos Giron (USA) 7-5, 6-1, 6-2

Novak Djokovic (SRB x2) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 2-6, 6-1

Women's singles

1st round

Zhu Lin (CHN) bt Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (10/5)

Julia Georges (GER) bt Viktoria Kuzmova (SVK) 6-1, 6-2

Petra Martic (CRO x13) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-3, 6-0

Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS x25) bt Jil Teichmann (SUI) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2

Barbora Krejcikova (CZE) bt Kaia Kanepi (EST) 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-3

Paula Badosa (ESP) bt Johanna Larsson (SWE) 6-1, 6-0

Petra Kvitova (CZE x7) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-1, 6-0

Naomi Osaka (JPN x3) bt Marie Bouzkova (CZE) 6-2, 6-4

Zheng Saisai (CHN) bt Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) 6-3, 6-2

Sorana Cirstea (ROU) bt Barbora Strycova (CZE x32) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5)

Ann Li (USA) bt Lizette Cabrera (AUS) 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (12/10)

Sofia Kenin (USA x14) bt Martina Trevisan (ITA) 6-2, 6-4

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) bt Kristie Ahn (USA) 6-1, 6-3

Tamara Zidansek (SLO) bt Han Na-lae (KOR) 6-3, 6-3

Serena Williams (USA x8) bt Anastasia Potapova (RUS) 6-0, 6-3

Ashleigh Barty (AUS x1) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) 5-7, 6-1, 6-1

Coco Gauff (USA) bt Venus Williams (USA) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3

Caty McNally (USA) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS) 6-1, 6-4

Zhang Shuai (CHN) bt Sloane Stephens (USA x24) 2-6, 7-5, 6-2

"He has a good winning streak by sitting in my box."

The first Grand Slam of the year went ahead as scheduled on Monday after air pollution eased in Melbourne -- although that gave way to rain.

Last week's build-up to the Australian Open was plagued by choking haze from widespread bushfires, forcing organisers to temporarily delay qualifying matches.

Results on day one of the Australian Open Grand Slam at Melbourne Park on Monday: