MELBOURNE (Reuters) – World primary Ash Barty will proceed her quest for a maiden Australian Open title and finish the nation’s 44-year watch for a homegrown ladies’s singles champion when she takes on qualifier Lucia Bronzetti in the second round on Wednesday.
Barty, who’s trying to emulate Chris O’Neil’s 1978 feat, set the tone with a devastating 6-0 6-1 victory in her opener towards Lesia Tsurenko and would be the overwhelming favorite towards her Italian opponent in their first assembly.
Reigning champion Naomi Osaka, who returned to Grand Slam competitors after a tumultuous 2021 season, will proceed the defence of her crown towards American Madison Brengle in the second round.
French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova will look to transcend the second round in Melbourne for the primary time when she faces Wang Xiyu whereas Maria Sakkari, Elina Svitolina and Paula Badosa are all in motion trying to attain the third round.
With Novak Djokovic absent from the event, 20-times Grand Slam winner Rafa Nadal stays the one Australian Open champion in the boys’s draw and can tackle German Yannick Hanfmann on Rod Laver Arena.
Third seed Alexander Zverev faces native favorite John Millman whereas final 12 months’s Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini will play American Stefan Kozlov.
(Reporting by Hritika Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
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