Staff Reporter.
Aryna Sabalenka started her Australian Open title defence in dominant fashion with a rapid victory over Germany’s Ella Seidel in Melbourne.
The world number two overpowered the 18-year-old qualifier 6-0 6-1 in a ruthless 53 minutes on Sunday.
She had the chance to win without dropping a game, missing two match points at 5-0 in the second before serving out the match in the next game.
She is joined in the second round by Greek eighth seed Maria Sakkari.
Sakkari’s 6-4 6-1 victory over Japan’s Nao Hibino was her first Grand Slam win in a year.
“It was a difficult match emotionally but I’m happy,” said the 28-year-old, who went out in the first round of the last three Grand Slams.
Elsewhere, Danish wildcard and 2018 Australian Open winner Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the second round after Polish 20th seed Magda Linette retired with injury.
Former world number one Wozniacki, appearing at the Melbourne Grand Slam for the first time since coming out of retirement last year, led Linette 5-2 in the opening set when the 31-year-old took a medical timeout and returned with strapping on her leg.
Clearly in discomfort, she attempted to continue but lost the opening set before Wozniacki ruthlessly broke in the first game of the second and Linette called time on her Australian Open campaign at 6-2 2-0 down.
Sakkari, who will face Russian Elina Avanesyan in the second round, endured a difficult 2023 with early exits at all four majors, her bset result at a Grand Slam coming in Melbourne where she reached the third round.
But she managed to squash any nerves with a dominant performance, cruising to victory without dropping a point on her first serve in the second set.
“You’re always nervous, you want to perform well. When you’re a top seed you’re always going to play players who do well against you. It was a difficult match today emotionally but I’m happy I managed to do the job right and play a good second set,” she said.
Sakkari has now won her first four matches of the year for the first time since 2021 after she secured three victories for her country at the United Cup.
Meanwhile, American Amanda Anisimova earned an impressive 6-3 6-4 win over 13th seed Liudmila Samsonova in her first Grand Slam since taking a seven-month break for her mental health.
The 2019 French Open semi-finalist said it was “unbearable” being at tennis tournaments but after her win on Sunday said she is “feeling good”.
“The most important thing is that I feel a lot more refreshed. I’m enjoying practising. I’m enjoying every second that I’m out there,” she said.
“I feel like I was very burned out while I was playing, and that really wasn’t a nice feeling. Being able to just reset is really nice.”
The Czech Republic’s Brenda Fruhvirtova became the youngest woman to win an Australian Open main-draw singles match since American Coco Gauff in 2020.
The 16-year-old looked emotional as she secured a 2-6 6-4 6-3 win over Romanian Ana Bogdan and could face defending champion Sabalenka next.
France’s Alize Cornet fell in the first round, losing 6-2 6-4 to qualifier Maria Timofeeva, while Czech ninth seed Barbora Krejcikova came from behind to beat Japan’s Mai Hontama 2-6 6-4 6-3 and will next face Germany’s Tamara Korpatsch, who knocked out Briton Jodie Burrage on day one.
The Australian Open has been extended to 15 days this year in an attempt to avoid late finishes – with this its first Sunday start.