5 Talking Points from Day1 of Australian Open 2019

2019 Australian Open got underway earlier today and there were quite a few matches that stole the show.

Without further ado, let us take a look at some of the most important points from day 1 of the tournament.

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Upsets on Day 1

It doesn't matter who the player is, what the seeding is, the speciality of Grand Slams is that every now and then, there will be an upset or two as top players are sent packing in the earlier rounds itself. The 2019 Australian Open is no different as there were a few upsets on day 1.

Ninth seed John Isner was sent packing by his fellow American Reily Opelka 6-7 (4), 6-7 (6), 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5) in a clash that lasted for nearly three hours and had 87 aces as both the towering Americans were struggling to break each other's serves. Every single set was decided by a tie-breaker, thanks to their serving powers.

In another match, Czech Republic's Tomas Berdych, who is returning from an injury, beat 13th seed Kyle Edmund 6-3, 6-0, 7-5 to progress to the next round. Edmund, who was a semifinalist here in 2018, was no match to Berdych as the former Wimbledon runner-up made light work of his British opponent.

In the women's singles, there were quite a few upsets as three seeded players were knocked out on day 1 itself.

Former French Open champion and 22nd seed, Jelena Ostapenko, was beaten in three sets by her Greek opponent Maria Sakkari 6-1, 3-6, 6-2. Following Ostapenko on her way out of the Women's Singles competition was 14th seed Julia Goerges, who lost to USA's Danielle Collins 3-6, 7-6 (5), 4-6, and 32nd seed Barbora Strycova, who lost 4-6, 6-7 (1) to Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva.

Cakewalk for the big names

Roger Federer had an easy round 1 match at 2019 Australian Open

While there were a few upsets on day 1, all the big names had an easy passage to the second round.

The day started off with former champion Maria Sharapova delivering a double bagel to Britain's Harriet Dart at the Rod Laver Arena before men's second seed Rafael Nadal did a light work of Australia's James Duckworth as he beat him 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 in the first round.

The defending champions in both Men's Singles and Women's Singles, Roger Federer and Caroline Wozniacki, also had easy first-round matches as they beat Dennis Istomin 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 and Alison Van Uytvanck 6-3 6-4 respectively.

Former Australian Open champions Angelique Kerber and Marin Cilic also made it to the second round with ease and so did Sloane Stephens, Kiki Bertens, Stefonas Tsitsipas, Kevin Anderson, and Grigor Dimitrov.

End of Indian challenge in Singles competition

Prajnesh Gunneswaran in action at 2019 Australian Open

The Indian challenge in the 2018 Australian Open Singles competition came to an end as Prajnesh Gunneswaran lost his first round match against USA's Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (7), 6-3, 6-3. Prajnesh started off the match on a strong note as he hardly gave anything away to his American opponent and threatened to take a 1-0 lead before Tiafoe showed his experience by capitalising on the crucial points to run away with the set 7-6 (9-7).

It was just one-way traffic after that as Prajnesh, who is playing his first-ever Grand Slam match, hardly gave some challenge to Tiafoe as the American sealed the game with a 6-3, 6-3 scoreline in the next two sets. With this, India's challenge in the Singles competition came to an end but Rohan Bopanna, Divij Sharan, Leander Paes, and Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan are a part of the Men's Doubles field and will get their campaign underway in a few days' time.

Rafael Nadal catches a journalist napping in his post-match PC

The other side of Rafael Nadal

World number 2 Rafael Nadal poked fun at an Italian journalist for sleeping during his post-match Press Conference after his 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 win over local boy James Duckworth.

Nadal stopped a journalist from asking a question as he caught Italian reporter Ubaldo Scanagatta napping, who was almost in tears after the incident.

He joked to the packed room, “It’s not very interesting today!” When Scanagatta woke up, he conversed with Nadal in Italian before pleading for sympathy saying, “A late night, a late night,” as he was hit by jet lag. Nadal then added, “I know you closed your eyes to be more focused on what I saying!”

After beating the local hero James Duckworth in the first round, Nadal will now take on another Australian Matthew Ebden in the next round on Wednesday.

Has Andy Murray played his last match?

Andy Murray after his match against Roberto Bautista Agut

Even before the match started, former World number 1 Andy Murray admitted that the 2019 Australian Open could be his last tournament as he has been struggling with a hip injury over the past few months and it has been hampering his progress all this while.

If he decides to quit after the Australian Open, his match against Roberto Bautista Agut is the best possible farewell match for him as he took the fans down memory lane by putting on a spirited performance in a match that lasted over four hours - the longest on Day 1.

After losing the first two sets 4-6, 4-6, the Scot came back strongly in the next two sets as he won them in a tie-breaker 7-6 (5), 7-6 (4) to push it to the fifth set. By the time the final set started, Murray was running out of gas and the 22nd seed from Spain hardly wasted time in sealing the set and game with a 6-2 scoreline in the fifth set.

"If this was my last match then it was an amazing way to end. I gave literally everything I had but it wasn’t to be tonight," he said before signing off.