Iga Swiatek got her Adelaide International title defence off to the perfect start with a straight-sets win over Australian qualifier Daria Saville.
Fifth seed Swiatek beat the former world No.20 6-3 6-3 to set up a compelling second-round clash with 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez, who won her first-round match on Monday night.
Later on Tuesday under lights at the Memorial Drive Tennis Centre, local wildcard Thanasi Kokknakis and two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka notched impressive straight-sets wins.
Kokknakis overpowered fellow Australian John Millman 6-4 6-3 before Azarenka avenged her dramatic loss to Paula Badosa – seeded fourth in Adelaide – in October’s Indian Wells final with a commanding 6-3 6-2 triumph.
“I wasn’t expecting to play the way I played today,” said the former world No.1, who finished the match with 23 winners to just 11 unforced errors.
Victoria Azarenka celebrates during her first-round win over No.4 seed Paula Badosa at the Adelaide International. (Getty Images)
“I felt really focused, one point at a time from the beginning of the match.
“It’s very easy to find some things that you still wanna work on; I’m a perfectionist on the court. But for the first match, I knew I had a really tough opponent; it was my last match and I lost.
“So I was really prepared and I’m glad the way I started the year. I guess whatever I was working on is paying off.”
Azarenka will next face Australian wildcard Priscilla Hon, who stunned Petra Kvitova on Monday night.
Also winning through to round two on Tuesday was American teen star Coco Gauff, who needed just 63 minutes to dismiss Norwegian qualifier Ulrikke Eikeri.
Gauff’s 6-2 6-1 win moves the 17-year-old through to a blockbuster match-up with world No.1 Ash Barty, scheduled for Wednesday night on Centre Court.
Gauff on facing Barty: “You want to play the best player early in the season because everything will maybe not seem easy, but you're starting off strong. This is probably the best matchup I could get.
"I think this would be a perfect kind of test for me.”#AdelaideTennis pic.twitter.com/DKkfEwdNOk
— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) January 4, 2022
That match will be followed by Kokkinakis’ second-round clash with fourth seed Frances Tiafoe.
Also progressing to the last 16 were Gauff’s countrywomen Sofia Kenin and Shelby Rogers.
Kenin, the Australian Open 2020 champion, saw off stubborn Italian qualifier Lucia Bronzetti 7-5 7-5 – after having led 5-2 in the second set – while Rogers ended the run of Australian qualifier Maddison Inglis in straight sets.
It was the first competitive outing in six months for Kenin, who had not played a match since Wimbledon due to a foot injury.
Yet it was not all smooth sailing for the big names on Tuesday in Adelaide.
No.8 seed Elina Svitolina was stunned in three sets by 130th-ranked Anastasia Gasanova, the Russian 22-year-old who is now 2-0 versus top-20 opposition.
Gasanova began 2021 in similarly impressive style when she upset sixth-ranked Karolina Pliskova en route to the third round in Abu Dhabi, her first tournament of that season.
Swiatek: “I feel like I can recharge here”
It was a solid performance to open the season for Swiatek, the 2020 Roland Garros champion who finished with a balanced ratio of 17 winners to 19 unforced errors.
Her numbers contrasted sharply with Saville, who is currently ranked outside the top 400 and making her way back from persistent Achilles problems which limited her to just five matches in 2021.
The Australian sprayed 30 unforced errors to 14 winners and finished the match with nine double faults, two of those coming back-to-back to end the match.
It means world No.9 Swiatek has now won all six of her singles matches in Adelaide, and 12 consecutive sets at the tournament.
“I just love this place, because it’s calm, it’s the perfect first tournament to get into the rhythm and to just enjoy being on court,” said Swiatek, who fell behind an early break against Saville before rebounding.
“The city is beautiful… I love it here. I know it’s pretty weird ‘resting’ on tournament but I feel like I can recharge here after pre-season, so it’s great.
“I think I stayed focused pretty well. And even though at the beginning I wasn’t like completely sure what my tactics should be because it’s first match, I stayed consistent, which was great. And I didn’t change that.
“I had some ups and downs for sure, because it’s the first match, but I’m feeling pretty good because I’m trying to implement all the tactics that we tried in practice.”
At home, Kokkinakis advances while Bolt falls
Kokkinakis’ win over Millman marked his first tour-level victory since beating Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki in the first round of the Miami Masters almost 10 months ago.
At world No.171, the 25-year-old Kokkinakis is ranked 100 places lower than Millman but he was intent on dictating play.
He belted eight aces among 25 winners – Millman managed just 11 winners – while winning 84 per cent of his first-serve points.
“I love coming back here. I haven’t been home here in 12 months. It was a gruelling year travelling,” Kokkinakis said after sealing victory in one hour and 22 minutes.
Thanasi Kokkinakis celebrates a point during his first-round win over John Millman at the Adelaide International. (Getty Images)
“I’ve played a couple of times (in Adelaide) but just in exhibitions, so to play a real meaningful tournament and beat such a quality opponent, a proven veteran like Johnny, means a lot.
“I played great and the support was great, so I’m really happy.”
Fellow South Australian wildcard Alex Bolt fell at the first hurdle on Tuesday, going down 6-2 6-4 to Juan Manuel Cerundolo, the Argentine who will next face top seed Gael Monfils.
Joining Cerundolo in the last 16 in Adelaide were Taro Daniel, Igor Gerasimov and Corentin Moutet.
Daniel stopped Italian rising star Lorenzo Musetti in three sets while Moutet beat 18-year-old Danish qualifier Holger Rune.
Gerasimov upset No.5 seed Marton Fucsovics 6-3 6-4.
Other first-round winners in the ATP field included sixth seed Tommy Paul, Swede Mikael Ymer and Gianluca Mager of Italy.