Melbourne (AFP)

Funny beginnings for the Australian Open: the threat of pollution lifted, it was the rain that completely turned upside down the first day Monday in Melbourne, causing the postponement to Tuesday of 32 games scheduled on outdoor courts.

The entries of Caroline Garcia, Fiona Ferro, Pauline Parmentier, Benoît Paire, Ugo Humbert and Corentin Moutet are therefore postponed, only Grégoire Barrère, winner in the pain of the Egyptian Mohamed Safwat (173rd in the world) 6-7 (8 / 10), 7-6 (7/1), 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), having been able to finish their match and qualify.

"It was a complicated match, I did not play very well. I was a little tense, I did not move very well. I was having trouble reading his game but I got hung up," analyzed the 25-year-old right-hander.

Quentin Halys was tied 3 points throughout the tie break in the first set with Filip Krajinovic when the rain drowned Melbourne.

Fortunately, the three main courts in Melbourne Park have a retractable roof, allowing matches scheduled in these arenas to take place normally.

Even before the rain, defending champion Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, in quest of a 24th Grand Slam trophy, won their ticket for the second round.

Roger Federer succeeded Serena Williams in the Rod Laver Arena, where he dispatched the American Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in 1h21, claiming to have controlled the match from start to finish with " margin". Title holder Novak Djokovic was to close the night session there.

The Spanish Paula Badosa (97th) opened hostilities against the Swedish Johanna Larsson (215th) and was the first qualified of this first Grand Slam tournament of the year.

- "Younger" -

But the first qualified figure was Osaka, 4th in the world, who easily dismissed the Czech Marie Bouzkova (59th), 6-2, 6-4.

"I had never played against her and for me it's always difficult to play someone you don't know in the first round of a Grand Slam. But, my God, she is younger than me so I think that we will often meet in the future, "said the 22-year-old Japanese woman. Bouzkova is 21 years old.

She did not exercise an overwhelming domination, yielding in particular her service in the second round and committing numerous direct faults (28 in total against 13 for Bouzkova). She nevertheless dismissed her opponent without needing to work too hard.

After losing her service in the second set, led 4-2, the Japanese raised her level and aligned four games in a row to win in 1:20.

It was then Serena Williams who made a short representation of 58 minutes to beat the Russian Anastasia Potapova (90th) 6-0, 6-3.

"I started well, but she fought well," said the 38-year-old American, smiling.

After flying over the first set in 19 minutes, Serena Williams made more mistakes in the second (13 direct faults versus 3 in the first set), and even gave up her throw-in to be taken 2-1. But she immediately broke down and imposed herself without being afraid.

- "Olympia's mom" -

"She doesn't realize it, all that matters to her is the plasticine. However, I tell her that I am someone!" Confided Serena Williams about her daughter in a burst of to laugh. "In my neighborhood, I'm just + Olympia's mom + ... and I love it!".

The Australian Open, a time threatened by toxic fumes from the gigantic fires ravaging Australia, started well on Monday at 11:00 am (01:00 French time) with air quality deemed "good" by the Melbourne health authorities. : 3 on a scale where it was decided to suspend matches from 200.

The fires that have been burning since September have killed at least 29 people and devoured 10 million hectares, an area larger than that of South Korea or Portugal.

© 2020 AFP