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It is stating the obvious to declare the Australian Open is never won in the first round, so it will surprise no-one that American tennis player Coco Gauff will not get carried away with her win on day one at Melbourne Park.
Key points:
- Coco Gauff recorded a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Kateřina Siniaková
- She will face 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu in the second round
- Jessica Pegula defeated Jaqueline Cristian 6-0, 6-1
World number seven Gauff — who is among the tournament favourites — went through the motions on her way to a comfortable 6-1, 6-4 victory over Czech Republic's Kateřina Siniaková on Rod Laver Arena.
The result booked a second-round berth against British 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu, who defeated Germany's Tamara Korpatsch 6-3, 6-2.
Gauff wrapped up the first set in just 22 minutes with the help of a double break, while she recovered from a minor blip in the second when she dropped serve before immediately breaking back.
A second break saw her serve for the win at 5-4, although she did not convert until her seventh match point after stubborn resistance from Siniaková.
"Kateřina is a fighter. I knew that she was going to fight to the last point and she proved that today," Gauff said in her on-court interview.
"We had some excellent points that last game … I knew that she was going to fight to the last point and she proved that today."
Gauff's fellow American, world number three Jessica Pegula, also advanced from the first round via a 6-0, 6-1 win over Romanian Jaqueline Cristian.
Off the back of her tournament win in Auckland earlier this month, Gauff, 18, arrived in Melbourne having not dropped a set on the way to claiming her third WTA Tour title.
She is coming off a solid 2022 season, highlighted by her appearance in the French Open final, qualification for the WTA finals and a career-high ranking of four, which she reached in October.
There has been much buzz surrounding Gauff's title hopes in Melbourne in the build-up to the season-opening major, and the speculation that she will break through for her first major is not without merit.
Since bursting on the scene as a 15-year-old — with an upset win over Venus Williams at Wimbledon in 2019 — Gauff has been tipped to achieve the highest honours in the sport.
Reaching last year's French Open decider proved she is in the mix for success at the majors and the question as to whether Melbourne will mark her ascension will be answered during the next fortnight.
Pegula does it easy
There has not been as much hype about Pegula's Australian Open chances, but the 28-year-old is a genuine contender.
She breezed through her first-round match on Margaret Court Arena, icing the win in just under an hour.
"Always feels good when you win a match like that," Pegula said.
"I think when those days come you just kind of take it and don't complain and don't critique.
"You kind of just move on to the next one."
Pegula's game is suited to the Melbourne Park's hardcourts, illustrated by her quarterfinal finishes at the past two Australian Opens.
Her 2022 campaign was halted by eventual winner Ash Barty, while later in the year she made the last eight at both the French and US Opens to complete a consistent season at the majors.
Pegula helped the US claim the inaugural United Cup in Sydney just over a week ago, with a win over Polish world number one Iga Świątek in the tournament's semifinals.
She will face either 15-year-old Czech sensation Brenda Fruhvirtova or Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich in the second round.
Another American, last year's runner-up Danielle Collins, survived in a three-set struggle against Russia's Anna Kalinskaya.
The 13th seed battled a knee injury to win in just over three hours, 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.
Among other first-round results in the women's draw, Greece's sixth seed Maria Sakkari triumphed over Yue Yuan of China 6-1, 6-4.
In a boost for local fans, Australian wildcard Olivia Gadecki defeated Russian Polina Kudermetova 7-5, 6-1 in her debut at the majors.
Gadecki will play Marta Kostyuk in the second round, after the Ukrainian upset 28th-seeded American Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 6-4.
Canada's 2019 US Open champion Bianca Andreescu — who is unseeded at Melbourne Park — downed Czech 25th seed Marie Bouzková 6-2, 6-4.