The Prague Post - Gauff through, Auger-Aliassime retires as Djokovic begins record quest

A bumper second day at the season-opening Grand Slam also sees six-time major winner Iga Swiatek and three-time Australian finalist Daniil Medvedev in action.

Home hope Alex de Minaur and fourth seed Amanda Anisimova also enter the fray, but the tournament is over for seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime who retired from his opening match.

Gauff came through her first-round test against Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-3, but it was less than convincing, with seven double faults and 31 unforced errors.

"I tried not to put too much pressure on myself," she said. "I am only satisfied if I win, but I am proud of myself regardless of how I get on."

Her reward is a clash next with Venus Williams' conqueror Olga Danilovic.

Gauff last year beat world number one Aryna Sabalenka at the French Open for her second major crown, but her best performance on the Melbourne Park hardcourts was a semi-final in 2024.

While she progressed, 2020 winner Sofia Kenin crashed out 6-3, 6-2 to fellow American Peyton Stearns as temperatures soared towards 30C and fans again faced long queues to get into Melbourne Park.

Canada's Auger-Aliassime was another casualty, calling for the trainer while down 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to Portugal's Nuno Borges and retiring after treatment to his left leg.

Serbian great Djokovic, 38, faces Spain's 71st-ranked Pedro Martinez in the final match of the day on Rod Laver Arena.

A former world number one, now ranked four, Djokovic is the undisputed king of Melbourne's hard courts, having won a record 10 Australian Open crowns.

He owns 24 major titles, equal for the most ever with Australia's Margaret Court, but a 25th has remained agonisingly out of reach.

With Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner now dominant, Djokovic's last Grand Slam victory came at the US Open in 2023.

Despite age and injury catching up with him, Djokovic said on the eve of his favourite tournament: "I know that when I'm healthy, when I'm able to put all the pieces of the puzzle together on a given day, I feel like I can beat anybody."

He added: "I like my chances always in any tournament, particularly here."

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Russia's 11th-seeded Medvedev, runner-up in 2021, 2022 and 2024, warmed up for Melbourne with victory in Brisbane and believes he could be hard to beat.

"I know that when I'm playing good there are not that many players that can beat me easily or at all," he said.

He meets Jesper de Jong of the Netherlands.

Australia's De Minaur, the sixth seed, will have the Rod Laver Arena crowd roaring him on against 113th-ranked Mackenzie McDonald of the United States.

Poland's Swiatek, the second seed, has never gone beyond the last four in Melbourne.

Like Alcaraz, she is pursuing a career Grand Slam of all four major titles, having triumphed previously at Wimbledon, the US Open and French Open.

Swiatek plays Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue while the American Anisimova, runner-up last year at Wimbledon and the US Open, meets Switzerland's Simona Waltert.

The 18-year-old Russian talent Mirra Andreeva, fresh from winning her fourth title, takes on Croatia's Donna Vekic.

Other notables in action include the 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka, who was handed a wildcard aged 40 in his last Australian Open before retirement.

I.Horak--TPP