By Flinster Austin
Published on 2024-01-15 14:11:12
Two-time Australian Open champion Naomi Osaka had her Grand Slam comeback cut short in the first round on Monday, while US Open winner Coco Gauff and men’s third seed Daniil Medvedev moved forward in Melbourne. On a scorching day, men’s seventh seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and women’s sixth seed Ons Jabeur also secured first-round victories. Meanwhile, Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova and veteran Andy Murray were both eliminated early on, with Murray hinting that he may not return to the court.
Japanese star Osaka, 26, took a hiatus from the sport in September 2022 due to mental health concerns. After giving birth to a baby girl in July, she made a return for the new season, eager to revisit the location of her previous title wins in 2019 and 2021. However, she did not manage to recapture her championship-winning form against 16th-seeded Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia, despite having played in only two competitive games since her return.
“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 back on Rod Laver again,” said Osaka. She expressed gratitude for her experiences over the past couple of weeks, stating that she has learned a lot from this trip, both on and off the court.
Medvedev faced the grueling conditions on Margaret Court Arena against French qualifier Terence Atmane, who experienced severe cramping and had to retire after the Russian took control of the match. Tsitsipas secured victory against Belgian lucky loser Zizou Bergs, while Murray’s tournament came to an end as he was defeated by Argentine 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
In the women’s category, fourth seed Gauff, who expressed her desire to win multiple major titles, began the tournament with a dominant 6-3, 6-0 victory over Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova on center court. While she managed to win her first-round match, Vondrousova suffered a defeat at the hands of Ukrainian qualifier Dayana Yastremska.
World number 93 Yastremska, who is proud of her Ukrainian heritage, won her match against Vondrousova and advanced to the next round. She revealed a message on her bag that read “Be brave like Ukraine” and stated that she wanted to keep the war in her homeland in the spotlight.
Additionally, Elina Svitolina, another Ukrainian player, progressed to the next round by defeating Australian Taylah Preston. Jabeur, a three-time Grand Slam runner-up, also secured her spot in the second round by defeating Yuliia Starodubtseva.
While some players soared and others faltered, the Australian Open continues to provide thrilling matches and emotional moments as the tournament progresses.
