Defending Champions Sinner & Sabalenka Storm Into Second Round
Defending champions Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka made powerful starts to their Australian Open title defences with straight-sets victories on Monday. They were joined in the second round by fellow top seeds Daniil Medvedev and Coco Gauff, who also recorded convincing wins.
Key First-Round Results
- Jannik Sinner (4) def. Botic van de Zandschulp 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.
- Aryna Sabalenka (2) def. Ella Seidel 6-0, 6-1 in 53 minutes.
- Daniil Medvedev (3) advanced after Terence Atmane retired (cramp).
- Coco Gauff (4) def. Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3, 6-0.
Sinner’s Confident Start
Italian fourth seed Jannik Sinner was in dominant form on Rod Laver Arena, breaking serve six times against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp. The 22-year-old, who beat Novak Djokovic and Medvedev here last year, said he felt “great” to be back.
“It means a lot to me to start off with a win,” said Sinner. “Physically I feel good. I’m here in good shape. I think I can be happy for today.”
Sabalenka’s Ruthless Display
Second seed Aryna Sabalenka needed just 53 minutes to crush German qualifier Ella Seidel 6-0, 6-1. The Belarusian, who hasn’t lost before the fourth round since 2020, was pleased with her focus.
“I think the key was that I was able to focus on myself and not the score,” Sabalenka said.
Medvedev, Gauff Advance
Third seed Daniil Medvedev was tested by French qualifier Terence Atmane before his opponent retired with cramp in the fourth set. US Open champion Coco Gauff enjoyed a comfortable 60-minute win over Slovakia’s Anna Karolina Schmiedlova.
“I was a little bit nervous going into the match, but I think I did a good job of just playing point by point,” said Gauff.
Other Notable Results
In the women’s draw, Jessica Pegula and Ons Jabeur won comfortably, while former champion Caroline Wozniacki progressed after Magda Linette retired.
The men’s draw saw a marathon win for Andrey Rublev and a straight-sets victory for Tommy Paul. However, there were early exits for former champions Stan Wawrinka and Andy Murray, who lost in straight sets to Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
