Iga Świątek overcomes rust to advance in Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Iga Świątek knows she has plenty to work on in her bid for a first Australian Open title and a career Grand Slam.
The No. 2-ranked Świątek never got comfortable in a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win over No. 130-ranked Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue in the first-round on Monday night.
After winning Wimbledon last year to go with her four French Open titles and her victory at the 2022 U.S. Open, the Australian Open is the only major missing from her collection. She has twice reached the semifinals.
Yuan was swinging freely and rifling winners as she took a 5-3 lead, and Świątek had to switch things up.
“I was a bit rusty at the beginning,” she said. “Many ups and downs, but overall I have some stuff to work on. I’ll just focus on that.”
From 5-3 down in the first, she held a service game at love to force Yuan to serve for the set. Świątek broke back to level and then, in the tiebreaker, she remained composed and converted on her second set point.
“I started a bit tight. I needed to get my legs moving. Go after my shots. Be brave with the decisions,” she said of the change up.
“It wasn’t perfect, but that’s why I’m happy,” added Świątek, who has only ever lost once in the first round at a major. “It’s not hard to win matches when everything is going well. Today it wasn’t, but I was able to win.”
Świątek had a disrupted preparation for the year’s first major, losing two singles matches at the United Cup but helping Poland win the title for the first time.
One of those losses was to No. 3 Coco Gauff, who also had some struggles on Monday before beating Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-3 in the opening match on Rod Laver Arena.
Gauff has won two Grand Slam titles but, like Swiatek, has never gone past the semifinals at Melbourne Park.
She had six double-faults in the first set against Rakhimova, but found her range in the second. It’s not a new issue — she had a tour-high 431 double-faults last year — but is something Gauff is working on.
“I mean, it was just the first set,” Gauff said. “Only had one double in the second. I think both of us were struggling on the far side. The sun is right there, which I know for every time I play first on day here, that’s just how it is.
“But once I got through kind of the first game, I had like three doubles in the first game, and once I got through that game, I mean, it was pretty much smooth sailing.”
Advancing
No. 4 Amanda Anisimova, runner-up at the last two majors, and No. 6 Jessica Pegula won in straight sets, advancing along with No. 8 Mirra Andreeva, No. 17 Victoria Mboko and No. 25 Paula Badosa.
Exiting
Sofia Kenin, the 2020 champion, had her fifth consecutive first-round exit at Melbourne Park following a 6-3, 6-2 loss to fellow-American Peyton Stearns, and No. 15 Emma Navarro lost in three sets to Magda Linette.
Retirements
Priscilla Hon secured her first trip to the second round of her home major in six years and also helped her opponent Marina Stakusic leave the court in a wheelchair after the Canadian qualifier collapsed with severe leg cramps.
Another Canadian player ended early with cramping, with No. 7 Felix Auger-Aliassime retiring from his match with Nuno Borges of Portugal. Borges led 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 when Auger-Aliassime walked to the net to shake hands.
Stan can
Stan Wawrinka kicked off his farewell season at the Slams with a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) win over Laslo Djere. The 2014 champion announced last month that 2026 will be his last year on the elite tour.
“It is my last year. It’s been too long that I’m coming back!” he said. “The passion is still intact. Today was amazing. I’m so happy that I won — I have a chance to play one more here.”
Three-time Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev beat Jesper de Jong 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (2) to continue a streak Down Under that included a title run in Brisbane. No. 19 seed Tommy Paul defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in an all-American match to advance along with No. 6 Alex de Minaur, Reilly Opelka and No. 13 Andrey Rublev.
Night cap
Novak Djokovic was starting his bid for a 25th major title later Monday against Pedro Martinez of Spain.
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