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Tatjana Maria won in the first round

Photo: Juergen Hasenkopf / IMAGO / Hasenkopf

Tatjana Maria and Laura Siegemund have reached the second round at the Australian Open. Maria won the opening match against Camila Osorio from Colombia 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4 and also survived intermittent circulatory problems. Doubles specialist Siegemund surprisingly prevailed against the number 17 seeded Russian Ekaterina Alexandrova 6: 2, 3: 6, 7: 6 (11: 9).

At the start on Sunday, Tamara Korpatsch had already survived the first round. Qualifier Ella Seidel, on the other hand, was eliminated. The German top duo Alexander Zverev and Angelique Kerber will not play their first-round matches until Tuesday.

Maria had to be treated for minutes at high temperatures of around 30 degrees after the second set. However, she overcame the phase of weakness and was again the dominant player in the third period. After 2:52 hours, Maria converted her first match point and then leaned exhausted against the net. She will now have to deal with the Italian Jasmine Paolini.

Siegemund will now face Australian qualifier Storm Hunter. Siegemund thinks he has a good chance, especially in doubles. The 35-year-old, who won the United Cup with the German team at the start of the year, will play in Australia alongside the successful Czech Barbora Krejčíková.

First surprise in the women's race

US Open winner Coco Gauff also reached the second round without any effort. The 19-year-old American needed just an hour for her 6-3, 6-0 win over Slovakia's Anna Karolína Schmiedlová. Wimbledon winner Markéta Vondroušová, on the other hand, was surprisingly eliminated. The Czech had no chance in the 1: 6, 2: 6 against the Ukrainian qualifier Dajana Jastremska.

Co-favourite Daniil Medvedev has only mastered his opening hurdle after teething problems. The Russian benefited from the injury-related retirement of his opponent Terence Atmane from France at the score of 5: 7, 6: 2, 6: 4, 1: 0 and reached the second round in Melbourne for the seventh time in a row.

"It was a tough match, it was brutal conditions. It's very hot," said the 2021 and 2022 finalist after his match in the Australian midday sun. The world number three will now meet Finland's Emil Ruusuvuori.

The Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas followed Medvedev into the second round a little later, he also had problems against the Belgian Zizou Bergs at first, but won in the end 5: 7, 6: 1, 6: 1, 6: 3. The eagerly awaited first-round match between Tsitsipas and Matteo Berrettini did not take place because the Italian had to withdraw due to injury.

Criticism of the game plan

Tournament director Craig Tiley, meanwhile, has defended the event's schedule. It is inevitable that games will end at a late hour – even if this year the tournament will go one day longer to equalize the schedule. "It's going to happen and it's going to happen again, it could happen tonight or tomorrow night," he said.

The final match of the first day of the 15-day Australian Open began at 23:41 p.m. on Sunday after Novak took Djokovic four hours to win his first-round match against qualifier Dino Prižmić.

The WTA and ATP tournaments announced this month that they want to schedule fewer matches in the evening. Matches that start after 23 p.m. are to be banned in the interest of the well-being of the players. However, the four Grand Slam tournaments are not bound by the rules of the tours.

The first Grand Slam tournament of the year is notorious for its late finals. In 2008, a match between Lleyton Hewitt and Marcos Baghdatis ended at 4:33 a.m.

ast/dpa/Reuters