Australian Open: Aryna Sabalenka makes winning start as Hady Habib makes history for Lebanon in Melbourne | Tennis News happymamay

Defending champion Aryna Sabalenka extended her Australian Open winning streak to 15 matches on a rainy opening day at Melbourne Park.

It was possible to play for less than an hour on the outdoor courts before a huge thunderstorm hit Melbourne Park, sending spectators running for cover and causing a delay of more than six hours.

The matches continued as scheduled on the three indoor courts, and Sabalenka opened the night session at Rod Laver Arena with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over former US Open champion Sloane Stephens.

Although the draw was difficult on paper, Stevens dropped to 81st in the world rankings, and except for a slight recovery for the American when she won three matches in a row after losing the first four, it was smooth sailing for Sabalenka, who won. First Grand Slam at Melbourne Park in 2023, then added another last January, before taking her total to three Grand Slam titles at the US Open in September.

Martina Hingis was the last woman to win the Australian Open three years in a row, from 1997 to 1999.

“I’m very happy to be back,” Sabalenka said. “I love this place.”

She added: “It was a difficult match, matches are always difficult against her. Not that I probably gave my best, but I was happy that I was able to finish this match in two straight sets.”

Sabalenka won last year’s final against the fifth seed Qinwen ChengShe also safely reached the second round.

The 22-year-old Chinese player, who won the Olympic gold medal in Paris, was unsuccessful in facing Romanian qualifier Anca Todoni, but she fought back to win 7-6 (7-3) and 6-1.

Zheng appeared to be in complete control of his serve for the set at 5-4 and led 40-0 only for Todoni to win five points in a row.

The Romanian player then held on to three points to decide the set, with Zheng serving at 5-6, but he was unable to capitalize on any of them, and things were comfortable for the fifth seed after that.

“The first match is not always easy,” Zeng said in her on-court interview. “She’s playing really well but I made some stupid mistakes when it was 5-4 and 40-0, I don’t know what happened there.”

teenager Mira Andreeva That may have been a factor in the final stages of the tournament and she started strong with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Marie Bouzkova.

But 29th seed Linda Noskova, who beat Iga Swiatek on her way to the quarter-finals last year, lost 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 to the talented Dane. Clara Towson.

Brett Kartal fails to make his Australian Open debut

Sunay Kartal’s comeback failed as their debut in Melbourne ended in defeat to Spain Jessica Pozas Manero.

British No. 3 Kartal rose rapidly in the world rankings during the second half of last season, winning her first WTA title in Tunisia and entering the top 100.

That earned her a place in the main draw in Melbourne, and she was the only British player to participate on a rain-soaked opening day, with the competition finally starting three-and-a-half hours later than scheduled.

Kartal lost in the first set, but came back from a 3-0 deficit in the second set to force a tiebreak before losing 6-1 and 7-6 (7-5).

Habib puts Lebanon on the map

Lebanese qualifiers Hadi Habib He opened new horizons for the conflict-torn nation by defeating Chinese Bo Yunchaoketi 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 7-6 (8-6).

The world number 219 became the first player on his country’s national team to win a major men’s singles match in one of the four major tournaments in the professional era, and received loud cheers from angry fans who crowded into the small stands of Court No. 13 at Melbourne Park.

As fans chanted his name, the 26-year-old, Texas-born player raised his racket in front of the crowd and raised the Lebanese flag after winning the decisive tiebreaker.

He represented Lebanon at the Paris Olympics and became the country’s first player to win a second-tier ATP Challenger Tour event in Chile last year.

Rod survives the fear

In men’s singles, ranked sixth Casper Road She survived a major scare to avoid her first opening-round loss at a Grand Slam since Wimbledon four years ago.

The Norwegian player lost twice to Spaniard Jaume Munar, but he proved his strength in the decisive set, winning 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, 2-6, 6-1.

Rudd announced his engagement to Maria Galligani last November, and his fiancée was watching.

When the Norwegian player was asked whether he was more nervous while facing Rafael Nadal in the French Open final or proposing to his girlfriend, he seemed clearly nervous, and stuttered during his interview on the court at Rod Laver Arena.

“The pulse goes up there when you’re about to go down on your knees,” Rudd said with a smile. “It was a great moment. I get nervous now when you ask me about that.”

“I’ll never forget facing Rafa in a Grand Slam final, but I’ll definitely never forget getting on my knees in front of Maria. It was a beautiful moment, and I think it was an even bigger moment.

“There are a few other guys [in the locker room] Who have been in relationships for a long time, so I kind of tease them. I hope their girlfriends step up at some point!”

The Japanese veteran also prevailed in fifth place Kei Nishikoriwho came back from two sets down to defeat Brazilian Thiago Monteiro 4-6, 6-7 (7-4), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3, to achieve his second victory in the Grand Slam since 2021.

The 35-year-old, a former US Open finalist, has struggled with injuries in recent years, but after saving two match points in the third set, he extended his five-set record to an impressive 29 wins from 37 matches, to advance in four. hours. And six minutes.

Nishikori has a reputation for winning long-range matches. “Even after the match, everyone, some of the players, were joking with me, ‘Five more sets,'” he said.

“It’s good to have this record because I always have good confidence, and the players know I have a good record. It’s good pressure for them if I have that.”

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