World No. 2 Alexander Zverev and former No. 4 Kei Nishikori made headlines on an action-packed opening day at the Australian Open, keeping the spectators on the edge of their seats on Sunday.
The quest for Grand Slam glory got underway at Melbourne Park on Sunday, setting off the opening day schedule at the Australian Open, the first with the coaching box at court level.
Second seed Alexander Zverev and world No. 76 Kei Nishikori took the spotlight, delivering inspired performances to move into the second round.
The German, making his 10th appearance at the AO, launched his campaign Down Under with a straightforward 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 win over wild card Lucas Pouille in two hours and 21 minutes at Rod Laver Arena.
Up next, the 27-year-old will meet world No. 44 Pedro Martinez; Zverev leads the Spaniard 1-0 in the series, a victory earned last year in Hamburg, playing on the red clay surface.
The spectators witnessed a dominant display by the two-time semifinalist, who represented his country at the United Cup in the lead-up to the major before a bicep strain cut his run short at the mixed team competition.
Nonetheless, there was no sign of discomfort on Sunday night when he took the court to face his first-round adversary.
The 23-time ATP titlist made the most of his biggest weapon, his booming serve, winning 78 percent of his first-serve points at an average of 204 km/h and 63 percent on his second-serve delivery while firing 18 aces throughout the contest.
In addition, he fended off all two break points he faced, hitting 40 winners and 29 unforced errors.
For his part, the Frenchman put to good use his net game, striking drop shots to recover some lost ground.
However, the world No. 103, on a comeback road from injury, could not deny his rival the victory.
“He’s definitely a great player. I wish him health, first of all, and he’s going to be back up the rankings soon,” the Hamburg-born said about Pouille, a former semifinalist at the Slam.
For his part, Nishikori squared off against qualifier Thiago Monteiro at John Cain Arena, a first-round match that marked his return to Melbourne Park for the first time since 2021.
He missed the major’s latest editions due to injuries, which sidelined him from Tour competition.
Nishilori, 35, rolled back the years to complete a memorable comeback from two sets to love down, saving two match points, before notching a 4-6, 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 victory after four hours and six minutes.
In his on-court interview, he outlined: “I almost forgot he had two match points, but I tried to stay calm even though I was almost out of the tournament.”
The Brazilian left-hander tested the Japanese resilience, pushing his opponent to the limit; the more he pushed, the more he fought back, firing groundstrokes from the baseline.
A dramatic mental and physical challenge required his A-game to flip the script, so he kicked a level to accomplish the triumph as only warriors do.
“I almost gave up,” Nishikori added. “He almost deserved to win today, but somehow I fought through.”
The Shimane native hit 67 winners to 42 unforced errors, earning 27 of 36 net approaches.
Moreover, he won 81 percent of the points on his first serve compared to the Brazilian 75 percent.
The 12-time ATP titlist contested the Hong Kong Open early in January, advancing to the final, his first on tour in six years.
Eventually, he fell to Frenchman Alexandre Muller in three sets.
Nishikori has reached the quarterfinals at the AO four times in 11 appearances.