day of firsts

First 6-0: inflicted by the American Jessica Pegula, 3rd in the world, on the Romanian Jaqueline Cristian (161st)

First qualification: Pegula again, who only needed 59 minutes to dismiss Cristian 6-0, 6-1.

First medical intervention: Frenchman Corentin Moutet who complained of neck pain after scoring the break to lead 3-2 in the first set against Yibing Wu. The treatment was effective as it allowed Moutet to recover beat 4:14 before finally dismissing the Chinese.

First match in five sets: the one won by Moutet against Wu 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

Without stress

Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Emma Raducanu on the women's side, Jannik Sinner on the men's side, made a perfect entry into the first Major of the season.

American tennis player Coco Gauff celebrates her victory over Czech Katerina Siniakova at the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 16, 2023 © WILLIAM WEST / AFP

"Everything worked well," soberly admitted Pegula who did not take an hour to get rid of Jaqueline Cristian.

"I'm very happy with myself," savored Gauff (7th) after dominating the Czech Katerina Siniakova (46th) 6-1, 6-4.

Raducanu (77th), who had left the court crying after being injured on January 5 in Auckland, is better: the winner of the US Open 2021 inflicted a 6-3, 6-2 on the German Tamara Korpatsch (76th).

The next match will inevitably be of a completely different flavor for Gauff or Raducanu who will compete for a place in the third round.

As for Sinner (16th), he was pleased to have been "very solid" to beat the Briton Kyle Edmund (ex-14th currently 580th) 6-4, 6-0, 6-2.

Italian player Jannik Sinner pictured during the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 16, 2023 © Martin KEEP / AFP

In strength

Finalist last year, the American Danielle Collins has already had to show the public why she was nicknamed "Danimal": the 11th in the world was indeed forced to bring out all her rage to overcome the Russian Anna Kalinskaya (59th ) 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in 3:03.

American tennis player Danielle Collins pictured during the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 16, 2023 © MANAN VATSYAYANA / AFP

She will face in the second round the Czech Karolina Muchova (133rd) who easily qualified at the expense of the Ukrainian Lesia Tsurenko (134th) 6-2, 6-1.

sentence of the day

"It was not complicated to beat me today": the French Arthur Rinderknech, 59th in the world, disappointed not to have been able to offer a game after his severe defeat 6-3, 6-3, 6-2 against the Japanese Yosuke Watanuki, 138th and from qualifying.

French tennis player Arthur Rinderknech pictured during the Australian Open in Melbourne on January 16, 2023 © Paul CROCK / AFP

For his very first Grand Slam main draw, the Japanese will face American Sebastian Korda (31st) on Wednesday who gave up a set to Chilean Cristian Garin (87th) before winning 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 , 6-2

© 2023 AFP