Novak Djokovic He caught all the attention when he debuted by winning the Australian Open, the dazzling event of the first Grand Slam of 2024. but for Argentine tennis the good news was the triumphs of Francisco Cerúndolo (22nd) and Sebastián Báez (26th), who thus achieved their passage to the second round.
On the first day of the tournament that is played on the overwhelming cement of Melbourne, the colossal ‘Nole’ had a rival who on paper was “a formality”, the Croatian Dino Prižmic who emerged from qualifying, but still the number 1 in the world gave up a set, winning: 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-4.
Cerúndolo found it more complicated. Lost the opening set against the local team Dane Sweenythen adjusted blows and dominated the next two sets, but he lost the fourth round and thus had to go to a fifth set, where he imposed his greatest hierarchy.
The score then was 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 for the Argentine tennis player, who had never won in five sets and they will face the Hungarian lungo in the second round Fábián Marozsán (65°), a tough rival, although accessible.
Seba Baez had to run less, because after also giving up the first set, He clearly dominated the American Jeffrey John Wolf, which he abandoned when he lost 0-3 in the fourth set. Báez’s victory then remained on paper with a score of 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 3-0 and abandonment.
Sebastián Báez, saluting after his initial victory in Australia. (AFP PHOTO)
Finally, the one who was unlucky at the premiere was Pedro Cachínwho started by winning the first set against the Dutch Jesper de Jong (148th in the ranking), but he could not sustain that level and fell in four sets: 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.
The details of the results recorded at the Australian Open:
Jaume Munar (ESP) defeated Alexander Shevchenko (RUS) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1
Christopher O’Connell (AUS) beat Cristian Garín (CHI) 3-6, 7-5, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5
Taylor Fritz (USA/N.12) defeats Facundo Díaz (ARG) 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
Fábián Marozsa (HUN) beat Marin Cilic (CRO) 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
Francisco Cerúndolo (ARG/N.22) and Dane Sweeny (AUS) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
Jannik Sinner (ITA/N.4) a Botic van de Zandschulp (NED) 6-4, 7-5, 6-3
Jesper de Jong (NED) beats Pedro Cachín (ARG) 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4
Daniel Galán (COL) to Jason Kubler (AUS) 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-6 (10/8)
Sebastián Báez (ARG/N.26) beats JJ Wolf (USA) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 3-0 and abandonment
Tomas Machac (CZE) and Shintaro Mochizuki (JPN) 7-5, 6-1, 7-5
Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) defeated Adam Walton (AUS) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2, 6-4
Pavel Kotov (RUS) beat Arthur Rinderknech (FRA) 7-5, 6-1, 6-7 (6/8), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3
Quentin Halys (FRA) a Lloyd Harris (RSA) 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5, 7-6 (7/2)
Andrey Rublev (RUS/N.5) a Thiago Wild (BRA) 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (10/6)
Women’s singles (1st round):
Maria Sakkari (GRE/N.8) defeated Nao Hibino (JPN) 6-4, 6-1
Elina Avanesyan (RUS) a Zhuoxuan Bai (CHN) 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) to Magda Linette (POL/N.20) 6-2, 2-0 and abandonment
Maria Timofeeva (RUS) a Alize Cornet (FRA) 6-2, 6-4
Alina Korneeva (RUS) to Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Leylah Fernandez (CAN/N.32) over Sára Bejlek (CZE) 7-6 (7/5), 6-2
Alycia Parks (USA) and Daria Snigur (UKR) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
Caroline Dolehide (USA) to Léolia Jeanjean (FRA) 6-2, 6-4
Kamilla Rakhimova (RUS) and Emina Bektas (USA) 6-4, 6-4
Diane Parry (FRA) a Xinyu Wang (CHN/N.30) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
Tamara Korpatsch (GER) and Jodie Burrage (GBR) 2-6, 6-3, 6-0
Barbora Krejcíková (CZE/N.9) and Mai Hontama (JPN) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
Amanda Anisimova (USA) defeated Liudmila Samsonova (RUS/N.13) 6-3, 6-4
Lesya Tsurenko (UKR/N.28) to Lucia Bronzetti (ITA) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
Brenda Fruhvirtová (CZE) and Ana Bogdan (RUM) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
AFP/HB