Coco Gauff started her quest for a maiden Australian Open title in style as Amanda Anisimova strolled into the second round but Brit Fran Jones was forced to retire injured.
Gauff, the two-time Grand Slam champion, eased to a 6-2 6-3 win over Kamilla Rakhimova to reach the second round on Monday.
Meanwhile, a sobbing Fran Jones was unable to complete her first-round match because of injury.
Third seed Gauff wobbled on serve at times and was broken as she tried to close out the match at 5-2 in the second set against her Uzbek oppoenent.
However, Rakhimova gave up two match points on serve in the very next game and then surrendered the contest with a backhand over the baseline.
A former semi-finalist at Melbourne Park and a quarter-finalist last year, French Open champion Gauff is seeking a third Grand Slam title.
Gauff was plagued by double faults last season and hit six more in the first set here.
She shrugged off concerns, though, saying: “It was just the first set. Only had one double in the second.
“Both of us were struggling on the far side. The sun is right there. I had three doubles in the first game and, once I got through that game, it was pretty much smooth sailing from there.”
She will next meet left-hander Olga Danilovic, who knocked Venus Williams out on day one, for a place in the third round.
Former champion Sofia Kenin was knocked out by fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-3 6-2, while sixth seed Jessica Pegula needed just 66 minutes to crush Anastasia Zakharova 6-2 6-1.
Fourth seed Amanda Anisimova strolled through with a 6-3 6-2 victory over Switzerland’s Simona Waltert in exactly an hour.
Anisimova, who reached the finals at Wimbledon and the US Open last year, is looking to win her first Grand Slam title.
Iga Swiatek launched her bid for a first Australian Open title with an unconvincing 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win over Chinese qualifier Yuan Yue.
“I was a bit rusty at the beginning, didn’t really start well,” said Swiatek, the six-time Grand Slam champion.
“But I knew if I put in the hard work, I will play better so that’s what I tried to do.
“I’m happy that it worked, many ups and downs. There are things to work on.”
Swiatek will meet Czech Marie Bouzkova for a place in the third round as she continues her quest for the career Grand Slam, having won crowns at the other three majors.
World No 7 Mirra Andreeva overcame a first-set stumble to beat Croatia’s Donna Vekic 4-6 6-3 6-0.
The 18-year-old eighth seed faces Greece’s former world No 3 Maria Sakkari in the second round.
Two days after finishing runner-up in Adelaide, Canadian 19-year-old Victoria Mboko beat Australian wildcard Emerson Jones 6-4 6-1 to move through.
Cruel blow for British No 3 Jones who now seeks expert help
Fran Jones was unable to complete her first-round match at the Australian Open because of injury
British hope Jones retired at 6-2 3-2 down to Czech-born Polish player Linda Klimovicova after which admitting she may need to seek expert physical help.
The 25-year-old arrived at Melbourne Park unsure whether she would be fit enough to play after suffering a groin problem in her right leg during the tournament in Auckland earlier this month.
It was clear from the start of her clash with Klimovicova that Jones was struggling with her movement and she decided she could no longer continue after dropping serve in the second set.
Jones sought treatment at the end of the first set and told her coaching team that it was a gluteal muscle problem rather than the groin issue that was hindering her movement.
It was a cruel blow for 25-year-old Jones who arrived in Melbourne at a career-high ranking of 69 after posting her best win against top-20 player Emma Navarro in Auckland, while this was the first time she has gained direct entry to a Grand Slam without needing a wild card.
It was therefore easy to understand her frustration, with the Yorkshirewoman whacking her racket against the barrier at the side of the court.
Jones was struggling with her movement and she decided she
could no longer continue after dropping serve to trail 6-2 3-2
When she again lay down for treatment following the fifth game of the second set, she buried her head in her arms, and Jones’ sobs were audible around the court.
With Klimovicova standing waiting to serve, a red-eyed Jones sat in her chair signalled that she could no longer continue.
“I normally stay under control in front of you guys, but I might struggle today,” said Jones through tears.
“I went for a slice, and the leg that I had injured, I slipped on it and fell. I felt something pull in my glute. I tried to see if it would settle but obviously aware of then multiple injuries in one leg. Very difficult to think about the match at that point.
“Obviously, I’m at a career-high [ranking]. I’m probably in the main draws of the Masters, and then you are thinking, should I continue? Do I fight because it’s a Slam? There’s money, there’s points on the line. Equally, with my history, it’s probably not the smartest thing to keep pushing.”
Consistency is Jones’ next major goal, with the physical issues linked to her genetic condition Ectrodactyly Ectodermal Dysplasia – which means she has three fingers and a thumb on each hand and seven toes.
“I don’t relate any of the retirements and things directly to what could be referred to as ‘kid with a syndrome’. I don’t think I had a team in place and the expertise that I needed from a younger age,” she said.
“I was never a natural athlete, and I’m not looking for that to be the case, but I do believe that there’s still a long way to go.
“I have to think about a few things around what’s best for me next and moving forward if we need more expertise coming in to see how I then push up my physical capacity.
“It may be a case of don’t overthink it, recover and be ready, but I don’t know if that’s something I can be clear on right now.”
Fearnley loses out in a tight contest
Jacob Fearnley was beaten by Pole Kamil Majchrzak
Jacob Fearnley also exited in the first round as his difficult start to the season continued.
The Scot, who reached the third round on his debut last year, was beaten 7-6 (7-2) 7-5 3-6 7-6 (7-3) by Pole Kamil Majchrzak.
Fearnley was not helped by a heavy fall in the fifth game of the fourth set when he was a break up, after which Majchrzak immediately hit back.
In other news, Marta Kostyuk tore a ligament in her left ankle during her first-round loss to Elsa Jacquemot.
Kostyuk rolled her ankle toward the end of the third set.
“Unfortunately, I injured my ankle during my match today, and after further tests, torn ligament was confirmed,” Kostyuk wrote on Instagram.
“The Australian Open has always been one of my favorite tournaments, so this isn’t how I imagined my run ending,” she said. “But that’s part of the sport.”
Kostyuk had started the year on a high note, ending runner-up to top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka at the Brisbane International.
“Despite the setback, Brisbane was a great way to start the year, and I’m thankful for that momentum,” she said. “Now it’s time to focus on recovery, and I’m excited to be back on court as soon as possible.”
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