The Australians had huge success on the first day of the 2015 Australian Open without Lleyton Hewitt, their biggest star, even taking to the court. Seven Aussie players were able to win their first round matches on day one in Melbourne.
Aussies Shine on Day One of the Australian Open
Six out of the seven Australians who moved on to the second round were in the men’s singles draw. The lone woman to move on was Jarmila Gajdosova, and it was an extremely emotional moment for her which was evident when she teared up during her on-court interview. Gajdosova’s first Grand Slam main draw match was in Melbourne, and in her previous nine attempts was unable to make it past the first round. Gajdosova has a great attacking game and has been playing some solid tennis in the last year in singles and doubles. The 27-year-old has always looked comfortable down under including winning Hobart in 2011. The bad news for Gajdosova is she will face the No. 3 seed Simona Halep in the second round.
Gajdosova’s ex-husband Sam Groth was another Australian who was able to reach the second round by beating Filip Krajinovic in straight sets. Groth has looked really strong this year, making it to the quarter-finals of the Brisbane International, before falling to Milos Raonic in three very tight sets. His variety and willingness to serve and volley is something that we don’t see much of anymore. Groth will take on countryman Thanasi Kokkinakis in the second round, which he should be favoured to win.
Kokkinakis had one of the biggest upsets on the men’s side by beating the No. 11 seed Ernests Gulbis 8-6 in the fifth set. The 18-year old is a wiry 6″5, with a solid serve and forehand. His strokes aren’t what stick out to me though; it is his composure and maturity given his age. Of course he was pumped up after his win on Monday, giving one of the biggest celebrations for a first round win.
Another Aussie who had a big celebration after his win was Marinko Matosevic. It was his first Australian Open win in six attempts. As great as the win was for Matosevic, his opponent was a qualifier and someone who he should have been able to beat in straight sets, not five. Either way don’t look for Matosevic to go further than the second round, as he is facing a resurgent Andy Murray.
Nick Kyrgios, the top ranked Australian, won a gruelling five-setter against Federico Delbonis. Kyrgios needed a medical timeout due to ongoing back issues, which had many feared would happen, but was able to rally and win the match. He will face the 23rd seed, Ivo Karlovic next, which is going to be a uphill battle for the Australian teenager. One thing is for sure, he does look like he has matured since last year’s run at Wimbledon. He is definitely worth keeping an eye on and is a player who continues to show great promise and growth.
Bernard Tomic beat veteran Tobias Kamke in four sets playing some of his best tennis. Tomic has been on fans’ radar for a long time and there have always been huge expectations for him, especially down under. Tomic does not have a weapon that will blow opponents off the court, but relies on his change of pace and use of slice to disrupt his opponent’s game. He is very well known for his drop shots. He will face Phillipp Kohlschreiber in the second round with the winner facing the winner of the Groth/Kokkinakis match. If Tomic can keep his cool he is capable of upsetting Kohlschreiber, who doesn’t look to be in the best of form.
The last Australian to win on day one was James Duckworth, who beat Slovenia’s Blaz Kavcic in a five-setter. Duckworth is only 22, has a huge serve and is extremely aggressive from the baseline. He is also not afraid to come in to the net. Duckworth will face Richard Gasquet in the next round. Gasquet looked extremely solid in his opening match against Carlos Berlocq.
The Australian Open has been a good stage for Australian Tennis to show off the talent they have coming through. Jordan Thomas is another Australian who shows great promise, despite losing his first round match. I would not be surprised to someday see Hewitt captaining a Davis Cup team that includes some of the players who won on Monday.
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