Barty wins through at Australian Open, as De Minaur and Kokkinakis depart
Ashleigh Barty has found a way to the second round of the Australian Open, overcoming temperamental but powerful Aryna Sabalenka in three sets on Rod Laver Arena.
Barty defeated the teenager Sabalenka 6-7, 6-4, 6-4, with the world number 17 the only Australian winner on day two at Melbourne Park, progressing to a tough second-round date with in-form Italian Camila Giorgi.
Alex De Minaur and Thanasi Kokkinakis were among the local contingent to make first-round exits, although Destanee Aiava did enough to draw a comparison to Serena Williams following her loss to world number one Simona Halep.
Barty's steely determination won out over Sabalenka, whose arresting grunting caught the nerve of many spectators.
"I knew it was coming but it was a bit louder than I thought," Barty said.
After losing the first set in a tie-break, Barty roared out of the blocks to break Sabalenka at the first opportunity in the second but the Belarusian reeled her back in.
Australia's number one was weathering the heavy game of Sabalenka, but earned a crucial break and hung tight to level the match at a set apiece.
Barty finally looked comfortable, benefiting from a double fault to claim the crucial break in the third set, which set up her victory.
"There were times in the match when I wasn't going to have much say," Barty said
"I knew if I hung around long enough I've give myself an opportunity."
De Minaur's magical month came to an end after he was sent packing by veteran Czech Tomas Berdych in four sets.
Berdych, the 19th seed, played spoil sport, defeating the promising baseliner 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 in their first-round meeting.
De Minaur soared to the Sydney International final last Saturday and reached the semi-finals in Brisbane the previous week, just the sixth and seventh tour-level events he had played.
Against Berdych — the second-highest player he had ever faced — De Minaur was on the back foot from the beginning.
His fighting qualities won out in the second set, turning the tables on the six-time Melbourne Park quarter-finalist, but he ran out of juice to lose in two hours and five minutes.
"For his age, he's pretty impressive," Berdych said after the match.
"He's a young guy coming up. He's hungry. Moving great. A big fighter. That was not an easy one for the first round."
On his second Open appearance, the strain of playing nine tour-level matches over the past fortnight told for De Minaur.
He was clearly hampered in the third and fourth sets, hitting first serves in the last set at an average of just 157 kilometres per hour.
Kokkinakis shows fight but falls to Medvedev
Kokkinakis put on a brave show but was eliminated from the men's draw by Daniil Medvedev, who beat De Minaur in the Sydney International final.
Returning to Melbourne Park for the Australian Open for the first time since 2015, Kokkinakis pushed hard but was unable to match the rising Russian star Medvedev, falling 6-2, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4.
After a sluggish first set Kokkinakis, who received a wildcard into the tournament, rallied but was obviously troubled by his ailing body.
He had to call for medical treatment on his calf and his pectoral muscle, telling the trainer his body was a "shambles", although post-match he felt the chest problem was not serious.
Kokkinakis looked in control of the third set tie-break, racing to a 3-0 lead but Medvedev reeled off the next six points.
The 21-year-old Kokkinakis then saved four set points, including three in a row with both players sending down some cracking winners. But world number 53 Medvedev would not be denied, with his lethal backhand sealing the set.
He then broke early in the fourth and rumbled down an ace on his first match point.
Australians' results
- Ashleigh Barty (AUS) def Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) 6-7, 6-4, 6-4
- Tomas Berdych (CZE) def Alex De Minaur (AUS) 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, 6-1
- Simona Halep (ROM) def Destanee Aiava (AUS) 7-6, 6-1
- Daniil Medvedev (RUS) def Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) 6-2, 6-7, 7-6, 6-4
- Lucie Safarova (CZE) def Ajla Tomljanovic (AUS) 7-5, 6-3
- Nicolas Kicker (ARG) def Jordan Thompson (AUS) 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 3-6, 6-2
- Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) def Lizette Cabrera (AUS) 7-6, 6-4
- Tim Smyczek (USA) def Alexei Popyrin (AUS) 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, 6-3
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