Rafael Nadal victorious at Australian Open but heartache for Nick Kyrgios Rafael Nadal launched his Australian Open title defense with a four- set palm over Britain’s Jack Draper as home stopgap Nick Kyrgios exited through injury without hitting a ball. In the women’s draw, in- form Jessica Pegula and teenage sensation Coco Gauff were both emphatic winners on the first day of the opening Grand Slam of the time. Spanish great Nadal, 36, had been in poor form by his sky-high norms, losing six of his last seven matches stretching back to defeat in the last 16 at theU.S. Open. In fast- rising Draper, 21, the 22- time Grand Slam champion faced a tough test to start his crusade at a sweltering Melbourne Park. But top seed Nadal recovered from a alternate- set wobble to master the 38th- ranked Briton 7- 5, 2- 6, 6- 4, 6- 1 at Rod Laver Arena. Nadal, who’s now a father, faces American Mackenzie McDonald in round two. “ veritably instigative, new morning, justsuper-happy to be back at Rod Laver with a palm I demanded, ” he said after seeing off Draper. “ Last couple of months haven’t been easy for me a veritably positive launch. ” Nadal was on court when Australia’s talented but temperamental Kyrgios called a hastily arranged press conference and blazoned that he was out with a knee injury. “ I ’m devastated, obviously, ” said the Wimbledon finalist, who was considered an outside bet to win a demoiselle Grand Slam crown. “ I ’ve had some great events then, winning the doubles last time and playing the tennis of my life presumably going into this event. “ I ’m just exhausted from everything, and( it’s) obviously enough brutal. ” The Australian Open had formerly lost several stars in the figure- up. Injured men’s worldNo. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and two- time Melbourne champion Naomi Osaka who’s awaiting her first child — are among the other high- profile players missing. Nine- time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, who was detained and deported ahead of last time’s event after refusing to get vaccinated for COVID- 19, begins his title assault on Tuesday. Other winners in the men’s draw on Monday included teenager Shang Juncheng. The 17- time-old, the youthful player in the men’s draw, created a slice of history by getting the first men’s Chinese player to win an Australian Open main- draw mates match. The teenager battled past Germany’s Oscar Otte in nearly three hours and four sets to progress. He faces American 16th seed Frances Tiafoe next. Other winners included 18th seed Karen Khachanov, 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz and Italian 15th seed Jannik Sinner. But 21st seed Borna Coric fell to Czech player Jiri Lehecka in straight sets. In the women’s draw, Pegula battered 161st- ranked Romanian Jaqueline Cristian on Margaret Court Arena 6- 0, 6- 1 in a 59- nanosecond rollick to gesture her intent. Fellow American Gauff was inversely explosive in contending into the alternate round with a 6- 1, 6- 4 thumping of Czech Katerina Siniakova on the neighboring Rod Laver Arena. Gauff headed into Melbourne on a high after winning her third WTA title at the Auckland Classic, while Pegula was boosted by disturbing worldNo. 1 Iga Swiatek at the United Cup. The 18- time-old Gauff now faces a mouth- soddening hassle against formerU.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu, who beat Tamara Korpatsch 6- 3, 6- 2, slightly 10 days after the Briton exited the Auckland event in gashes with an ankle injury. It’ll be a first meeting ever between Gauff and the 20- time-old Raducanu, two rising stars of women’s tennis. “ I ’m really looking forward to this match, ” Raducanu said. “ I ’m veritably over for it. Coco has obviously done a lot of great effects and she’s playing well. “ I suppose we ’re both good, youthful players, we ’re both coming through — part of the coming generation of tennis really it’s going to be a great match. ” Also safely through was another American, Danielle Collins, last time’s beaten finalist in Melbourne. She beat Anna Kalinskaya 7- 5, 5- 7, 6- 4. Greek sixth seed Maria Sakkari also won. But two seeds fell at the first chain, 25th- planted Czech Marie Bouzkova and American 28th- seed Amanda Anisimova. Top seed Swiatek gets her crusade for a first Melbourne Park title under way latterly Monday against Germany’s Jule Niemeier.
