MELBOURNE, Australia — After the announcement of her new racquet at Game, Set, Galaxy Saturday night, Angelique Kerber (GER) was strictly business in her first round match. The two-seed breezed through the opening round with a 6-2, 6-2 victory.
Caroline Garcia (FRA), Donna Vekic (CRO), and Marketa Vondrousova (CZE), who was the first to record a point at this year’s Australian Open, also advanced in straight sets before the temperatures climbed into the 90’s.
Frances Tiafoe (USA) and Denis Kudla (USA) both captured first round wins to conclude Day 1 action. The pair will look to advance to the third round for the first time in their respective careers against two seeded players; Tiafoe faces [5] Kevin Anderson, while Kudla will play [18] Diego Schwartzman.
Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA), who is going for a ‘Career Slam’ on the double side, began Day 2 action for Team Yonex in singles with an upset over Sam Querry (USA). Shortly after, Hyeon Chung (KOR), a semifinalist last year, came back from two-sets-to-love to defeat another American in Bradley Klahn in five sets.
Teenagers Denis Shapovalov (CAN) and Dayana Yastremska (UKR) both cruised in straight sets. The young stars will be in search of their first third round appearance in Melbourne on Thursday.
As the sun began to set on the first round, two former Grand Slam Champions took the court. 2016 Australian Open Champion Stan Wawrinka (SUI) recorded his 14th-straight round-one victory in Melbourne, ater his opponent retired due to injury in the second set.
Fans did not have to wait long to see how Naomi Osaka (JPN) would handle added pressure Down Under. Returning to center court for the first time since her US Open title, Osaka wrapped up first round action during the night session on Rod Laver in just under an hour. She will play Tamara Zidansek (SLO) in the second round.
Yonex X Australian Open
The Yonex Stringing Team is the Official Stringing Team of the Australian Open for the fourth straight year. With honed skills and robust knowhow, the Yonex Stringing Team is an international team of experts dedicated to providing the world standard of racquet stringing. The team is supported by an arsenal of high-quality, Japan made stringing machines (PT8 Deluxe) that assist in precise re-strings.
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#TeamYonex in Melbourne
Women
Dayana Yastremska (UKR) - VCORE PRO 100 / POLYTOUR FIRE 125 def. Samantha Stosur, 7-5, 6-2
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) - VCORE 100 def. Shuai Peng (CHN), 6-2, 6-1
[4] Naomi Osaka (JPN) - EZONE 98 / POLYTOUR STRIKE 125 def. Magda Linette (POL), 6-4, 6-2
Tamara Zidansek (SLO) - VCORE 98 / POLYTOUR PRO 125 def. Daria Gavrilova (AUS) - 7-5, 6-3
[13] Anastasija Sevastova (LAT) - EZONE 98 / POLYTOUR PRO 125 / Melbourne Collection / ECLIPSION2 def. Mona Barthel (GER), 6-3, 6-1
Viktoria Kuzmova (SVK) - VCORE 100 / POLYTOUR PRO 125 & POLYTOUR FIRE 125 def. Kateryna Kozlova (UKR), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
Belinda Bencic (SUI) - EZONE 100 / POLYTOUR PRO 125 def. Kateryna Kozlova (UKR), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
Timea Babos (HUN) - VCORE 98 def. Ons Jabeur (TUN), 7-6, 7-6
Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) - EZONE 100 / POLYTOUR AIR 125 def. Evgeniya Rodina (RUS), 6-3, 6-2
[19] Caroline Garcia (FRA) - VCORE 100 / POLYTOUR STRIKE 125 def. Jessika Ponchet (FRA), 6-2, 6-3
[29] Donna Vekic (CRO) - VCORE 100 def. Kristina Mladenovic (FRA), 6-2, 6-4
[2] Angelique Kerber (GER) - VCORE 100 / POLYTOUR FIRE 120 def. Polona Hercog (SLO), 6-2, 6-2
Men
[25] Denis Shapovalov (CAN) - VCORE 95 / POLYTOUR STRIKE 125 def. Pablo Andujar (ESP), 6-2, 6-3, 7-6
[24] Hyeon Chung (KOR) - VCORE PRO 97 def. Bradley Klahn (USA), 6-7, 6-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) - VCORE PRO 97 def. Sam Querry (USA), 5-7, 7-6, 6-3, 6-1
Stan Wawrinka (SUI) - VCORE PRO 97 / Melbourne Collection / ECLIPSION2 def. Ernests Gulbis (LAT), 3-6, 3-1 RET.
Marton Fucsovics (HUN) - EZONE 98 / POLYTOUR PRO 130 def. Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP), 6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3
Radu Albot (MDA) - VCORE 98 / Melbourne Collection / ECLIPSION2 def. Michael Mmoh (USA), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) - VCORE 98 / POLYTOUR SPIN 125 / Melbourne Collection / FUSIONREV3 def. Tennys Sandgren (USA), 6-4, 7-6, 4-6 , 6-4
Frances Tiafoe (USA) - VCORE PRO 97 / POLYTOUR PRO 125 def. Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND), 7-6, 6-3, 6-3
Denis Kudla (USA) - VCORE 98 def. Mar Polmans (AUS), 5-7, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2