 "Australian Open 2024: Medvedev, Gauff power through; Murray, Osaka, Vondrousova crash out")
Two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev and US Open champion Coco Gauff swept into the second round of the Australian Open on Monday, but Wimbledon winner Marketa Vondrousova was sent packing. On a baking-hot day at Melbourne Park, men’s seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and 16th seed Ben Shelton also tasted victory. Naomi Osaka’s Grand Slam comeback on Rod Laver Arena, however, ended with a defeat at the hands of France’s Caroline Garcia. Third seed Medvedev battled tough conditions on Margaret Court Arena against French qualifier Terence Atmane, who smashed his racquet, served underarm and retired in tears after suffering bad cramping that forced him off court while losing 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 1-0. “When I started to feel tough physically he started cramping, so it was brutal conditions,” said Russia’s Medvedev, a finalist in 2021 and 2022. “I was getting tired but many times in these situations the other guy is getting tired too and it’s about who manages it better.” The Russian will face Finland’s unseeded Emil Ruusuvuori in the next round. Tsitsipas, who lost last year’s final to Novak Djokovic, was stunned by Belgian lucky loser Zizou Bergs in the first set, but woke up to take complete control and win 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3. The Greek star was due to meet Italian Matteo Berrettini, but the former world number six withdrew with a foot injury on Sunday. Women’s fourth seed Gauff said ahead of the opening Grand Slam of the year that she wanted to win “multiple” major titles after her breakthrough at Flushing Meadows in 2023. The 19-year-old put the plan into motion with a 6-3, 6-0 rout of Slovakia’s 68th-ranked Anna Karolina Schmiedlova on centre court. ‘Didn’t play good’
Coco Gauff worked with @andyroddick on her serve in the off-season.
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 15, 2024
The results of that are on display now 🎯@cocogauff • #AusOpen • #AO2024@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis pic.twitter.com/WYgWyEG1qk
“I was a little bit nervous coming in today. Probably could tell. I was able to just calm down and then play my good, not my best, but good tennis,” said Gauff, who successfully defended her Auckland title in the lead-up. Her reward is a clash with unseeded American Caroline Dolehide in round two.
It's a STUNNER Down Under!
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 15, 2024
Qualifier @D_Yastremska upsets No. 7 seed Vondrousova 6-1 6-2.#AusOpen • #AO2024@wwos • @espn • @eurosport • @wowowtennis pic.twitter.com/NPtbPbjmYy
While she lived to fight another day, it was curtains for Vondrousova, who slumped 6-1, 6-2 to Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska. The Czech seventh seed pulled out of the warm-up Adelaide International last week with a hip injury and said she was also struggling with a sore shoulder, which affected her serve. “I didn’t practise much before the tournament because I was injured,” she said after becoming the highest seed to depart so far. “She played a good match, I didn’t play good, that’s why (I lost).” World number 93 Yastremska, whose best showing at Melbourne Park is a third-round appearance in 2019, sported the slogan “Be brave like Ukraine” on her bag and said she wanted to keep the war in her homeland in the spotlight. “I’m very proud of Ukraine, proud of the people, proud of the warriors and the civilians,” she said, after setting up a clash with unseeded Frenchwoman Varvara Gracheva. Another Ukrainian, Elina Svitolina, also progressed, demolishing Australian Taylah Preston for the loss of just four games. Murray crashes out in first round
Andy Murray says today might have been his last Australian Open:
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) January 15, 2024
“It’s a definite possibility that will be the last time I play here. And yeah, I think probably because of how the match went & everything, I don't know.
Whilst you're playing the match, you're obviously trying to… pic.twitter.com/MylqMx3sgj
Five-time finalist Andy Murray slumped out of the Australian Open at the first hurdle, with the British veteran outplayed by Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry. The 36-year-old, who has suggested he may be playing his final season, put up stiff resistance in a 61-minute first set, but the 30th seed slowly ground him down to win 6-4, 6-2, 6-2. “Very tough for me playing with a legend like Andy,” said Etcheverry, 12 years younger than his opponent. “He is one of my idols, but today I played incredible. I just tried to play my game and focus on my points.” Murray’s defeat deprived fans of a potential third-round clash with defending champion Novak Djokovic. To have a chance of facing the top seed, Etcheverry, who reached the French Open quarter-finals last year, must first get past another veteran, Frenchman Gael Monfils. Murray had a frustrating end to 2023, winning just one match in his last four tournaments, and said in Brisbane this month he will bring down the curtain on his career if the next 12 months follow the same pattern. The British player, who won Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016 and also took the US Open title in 2012, is part of a golden generation coming towards the end of trophy-laden careers. Roger Federer retired in 2022 and Rafael Nadal had an injury-blighted 2023 and is absent from the Australian Open with a muscle tear. At 36, Djokovic is still hoping to add to his record haul of 24 Grand Slam titles before hanging up his racquet. Osaka crashes out Two-time Australian Open champion Osaka’s Grand Slam comeback ended at the first hurdle. The 26-year-old Japanese star had stepped away from the sport in September 2022, citing mental health concerns. After giving birth to a baby girl in July, she decided to return for the new season and was back at the scene of her title-winning exploits in 2019 and 2021. [caption id=“attachment_13617322” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Japan’s Naomi Osaka reacts after her first-round defeat at the hands of France’s Caroline Garcia in the 2024 Australian Open. Reuters[/caption] But she was unable to rediscover her championship-winning form against 16th-seeded Frenchwoman Garcia after just two competitive games in Brisbane since returning. “I thought it was a really good match for me. I thought I just did the best I could possibly do. And it was really nice to be on Rod Laver again,” said Osaka. “These past couple of weeks, I’m grateful for them. I don’t regret anything. I think I have learned a lot from this trip, both on the court and off the court.” As for Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, she dropped only four games in crushing qualifier Yuliia Starodubtseva 6-3, 6-1.
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