Andres Seppi and Camila Giorgi passed the first round at the Australian Tennis Open , which is taking place on the Melbourne courts. The South Tyrolean folded Serbian Miomir Kecmanovic in three sets with the score 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3); the Macerata has imposed with a double 6-3 on the German Antonia Lottner. Nothing to do, however, for Lorenzo Giustino, beaten 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 by the Canadian Milos Raonic.
Smooth debut for the Spanish Rafa Nadal against the Bolivian Hugo Dellien, overwhelmed by 6-2, 6-3, 6-0. Surprisingly, the French Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, beaten by Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-7 (5-7), 6-2, 6-1. Finally another knockout for the Russian Maria Sharapova, who surrendered to the Croatian Donna Vekic, victorious with the score 6-3, 6-4.
Fabio Fognini wins the match against the American Reilly Opelka in the fifth set and lands in the second round of the Australian Open . A high-tension match as both tennis players took turns finding a way to fight with the chair judge, Carlos Bernardes. "I can't play with a referee who doesn't give me peace of mind - Fognini's outburst, in Italian -. If Rafael Nadal asks for it, it's all right, but if Fognini asks for it ... If His Majesty asks for it, everyone will be satisfied immediately. You are a disgrace - added the Ligurian to the referee - you are not suitable for this profession. You cannot give me a penalty for throwing my racket ". Opelka also took it out on Bernardes because he had not penalized Fognini: "You are pathetic - the words of the American -. You gave me a penalty immediately, he did it at least three or four times".
Marco Cecchinato's journey to the Australian Open stops in the first round . The palermitan, n.7 in the world, was defeated in three sets (6-4, 7-6, 6-3) by the German Alexander Zverev, seventh seed of the tournament. An unlucky draw for the Italian tennis player, back from a complicated 2019.
