Third seed Coco Gauff overcame familiar serving woes to defeat Kamilla Rakhimova 6-2, 6-3 in her opening match at the Australian Open on Monday.
Despite her two Grand Slam titles, Gauff has yet to progress beyond the semi-finals at Melbourne Park, having been knocked out in the quarter-finals last year.
The American star registered six double faults in the first set against Rakhimova, though she found her rhythm to commit only one in the second.
Gauff has openly struggled with double faults, recording 431 on the WTA Tour last year – significantly more than any other player, with no one else exceeding 300.
"I mean, it was just the first set," Gauff explained. "Only had one double in the second. I think both of us were struggling on the far side. The sun is right there, which I know for every time I play first on day here, that’s just how it is.
“But once I got through kind of the first game, I had like three doubles in the first game, and once I got through that game, I mean, it was pretty much smooth sailing from there. Maybe I would have liked to put more first serves in the court, for sure."
The 21-year-old has been refining her serve over recent months and even practised during a comfort break on Rod Laver Arena.
Gauff is set to face left-handed Olga Danilovic in the second round, after Danilovic defeated 45-year-old Venus Williams, preventing an all-American clash.
"There's not many (left-handed players) on Tour, but Olga's a great player, she's beat some top players so it's going to be a tough match," Gauff added.
Elsewhere in the women’s draw, fourth seed Amanda Anisimova, a runner-up at the last two majors, advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Simona Waltert.
Sixth seed Jessica Pegula beat Anastasia Zakharova 6-2, 6-1, and 14th seed Clara Tauson secured a 6-3, 6-3 win against Dalma Galfi.
However, 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin’s poor run at the tournament continued as she suffered a 6-3, 6-2 defeat to fellow American Peyton Stearns, marking her fifth consecutive first-round exit. Fifteenth seed Emma Navarro also exited, losing in three sets to Poland’s Magda Linette.
The opening day also saw several retirements due to physical distress. Priscilla Hon progressed to the second round of her home major for the first time in six years after her opponent, Canadian qualifier Marina Stakusic, was forced to retire with severe leg cramps and left the court in a wheelchair.
Seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime also retired from his match against Nuno Borges of Portugal due to cramping, with Borges leading 3-6, 6-4, 6-4. "I can’t recall ever in my life (cramping) this early in a tournament, this early in a match," Auger-Aliassime stated.
In the men’s singles, 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka began his farewell season at the Slams with a hard-fought 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) win over Laslo Djere.
Wawrinka announced last month that 2026 would be his final year on the elite tour.
Three-time Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev continued his strong form, beating Jesper de Jong 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 (2).
Nineteenth seed Tommy Paul defeated Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 in an all-American encounter, while Reilly Opelka and 13th seed Andrey Rublev also advanced.
Local favourite Alex de Minaur, the sixth seed, comfortably beat Mackenzie McDonald 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena.
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