The Australian Open finally kicked off its main draw in Melbourne, and honestly, if you went to bed early last night, you missed a chaotic mix of "business as usual" for the superstars and absolute heartbreak for the locals. It’s that time of year when the heat starts to bake the hard courts and the world’s best players realize that form in practice doesn't always translate to the Rod Laver Arena spotlight.
While the big names like Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka technically "handled business," the scores don't tell the full story. It wasn't exactly a walk in the park.
Alcaraz and the Survival of the Fittest
Let's talk about Carlos Alcaraz. He’s chasing that elusive career Grand Slam at just 22 years old. Last night, he faced Adam Walton, a local Aussie qualifier who had the entire crowd screaming for an upset. Alcaraz won 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.
But check this out: Alcaraz made 36 unforced errors. That’s actually more than Walton.
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Basically, Carlitos was spraying the ball everywhere in the second set. He looked human. He looked frustrated. However, when the tiebreak hit, the "Alcaraz gear" clicked in. He blew Walton off the court in the third, but that second set was a massive wake-up call for the world number one. He moves on to face Yannick Hanfmann next.
Sabalenka’s Power Trip
On the women's side, Aryna Sabalenka looked like she was in a hurry to get to dinner. She dismantled Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah 6-4, 6-1. The first set was actually tight—Rajaonah showed some incredible grit—but Sabalenka’s serve is just a weapon of mass destruction when it’s clicking.
She’s the defending champ for a reason.
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The Results You Might Have Missed
While the big screens were focused on the stars, the outer courts were where the real drama lived. If you’re looking for who won the tennis match last night across the rest of the draw, here’s the breakdown of the notable results:
- Alexander Zverev had a scare. He dropped the first set tiebreak to Gabriel Diallo but eventually roared back to win in four. The final score was 6-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Diallo’s serve is massive, but his fitness seemed to dip once the match crossed the two-hour mark.
- Elina Svitolina looked incredibly sharp. She took down Cristina Bucsa 6-4, 6-1. Svitolina’s movement is back to its elite level, and she’s looking like a very dangerous dark horse in this draw.
- Francisco Cerundolo moved through in straight sets against a tough opponent, winning 6-3, 7-6, 6-3.
- Arthur Fery kept the British hopes alive with a dominant 7-6, 6-4, 6-1 win.
- Tomás Martín Etcheverry survived a five-set marathon against Miomir Kecmanović. These two were trading blows for nearly four hours before Etcheverry finally pulled away 6-4 in the fifth.
Why These Scores Matter for the Rest of the Week
Tennis is kinda weird because a "messy" win in the first round is sometimes better than a blowout. It forces the top players to find their rhythm early. Alcaraz knows he can't hit 36 unforced errors against the top-tier guys later in the tournament.
We also saw some significant upsets brewing in the women's draw. Elsa Jacquemot stunned Marta Kostyuk, and Zeynep Sonmez took out Alexandrova. The depth in the WTA right now is just insane; you truly can't count anyone out.
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Actionable Takeaways for Following the Tournament
If you’re trying to keep up with the action without losing your mind (or your sleep schedule), here’s the best way to handle the next few days:
- Watch the tiebreaks. If a top-seeded player is struggling with their first-serve percentage early on, look for the live odds or momentum to shift during the second-set tiebreak. That’s usually where the match is won or lost.
- Monitor the weather. Melbourne is hitting some high temps. Players like Zverev and Alcaraz have historically struggled more in the humidity than the dry heat.
- Check the "Order of Play" every evening. Matches often get shuffled to different courts if the morning sessions run long.
The first round is nearly in the books. The rust is being shaken off, and the favorites are starting to emerge, even if they looked a little shaky last night.
Stay tuned for the second round, where Alcaraz will need to tighten up that forehand if he wants to stay on track for history.