Day one of the Australian Open saw few shocks on the court but off it, Nick Kyrgios's withdrawal with a knee injury stole the headlines.
The Australian was "devastated" to deliver the news, which also means he and Thanasi Kokkinakis cannot defend their men's doubles title.
Still, while Kyrgios was forced to endure a tough day, plenty of other Australians made it their own.
Veteran John Millman delivered a typical fighting performance to get through to the second round after coming back from two sets to one down, while Jason Kubler swept into the second round and young women's player Olivia Gadecki got herself a career pay day.
Defending men's singles champion Rafael Nadal also advanced to the second round but not before he endured a tough test early from young Brit Jack Draper.
"I need a victory, so that's the main thing, doesn't matter the way," Nadal said.
"We know it's not going to be perfect, it was not perfect, but to win against Jack, I think I did things well so I'm satisfied with the victory."
See how the day unfolded below via our blog.
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Live updates
Swiatek struggles through
By Paul Johnson
Rafael Nadal wasn't the only top seed who struggled today.
Women's top seed Iga Switaek scraped past Germany's Julie Niemeier 6-4, 7-5 to advance to the second round.
The performance far from impressive as errors slowed from the Swiatek racket.
"I'm pretty happy I got through this match, it was tricky," Swiatek said before paying tribute to Australia's Ash Barty.
"She's a huge inspiration," Swiatek said of Barty, who retired late last year and is not defending her title at the Australian Open.
Former champ exits
By Paul Johnson
2014 Australian Open champ Stan Wawrinka is out in the opening round.
Wawrinka saved a match point in the final set of his match with Slovakian Alex Molcan but could not stave off a second.
For 37-year-old Wawrinka, who is continuing a comeback from surgery the result would be disappointing.
For Molcan the 6-7, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory is one of the best of his career, for Wawrinka it surely raises some questions about where he is at in his comeback.
Tsitsipas through to 2nd round
By Paul Johnson
Greek star Stefanos Tsitispas is through to the second round with a straight sets victory over Frenchman Quentin Halys.
Tsitsipas staved off multiple set points in the third set to take the match in a tiebreaker 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (8/6).
Halys gave Tsitsipas plenty of trouble as things threatened to boil over in the third set before the Greek star steadied to take an expected win.
Tsitsipas will next play either German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann or Aussie wildcard Rinky Hijikata.
Hijikata just sent the match into a final set having been down 2 sets to love.
Millmania runs wild at Melbourne Park
By Paul Johnson
John Millman has done it.
The veteran Australian has rallied from 2 sets to 1 down to defeat Switzerland's Marc-Andrea Huesler 6-7, 7-5, 6-7, 6-2, 6-3 in an epic encounter, which lasted over 4 hours on Court 3.
The win for Millman comes off the back of a horror 2022 where he Queenslander battled injury and form issues throughout the year.
The win is his first at a grand slam since last year's Australian Open.
With his back against the wall as he entered the fourth set, a raucous home crowd got behind him as the Australian roared back into contention as his fitness came to the fore.
Millman, ever the marksman, began to pass Huesler at will whenever the Swiss came to the net and rode a wave of momentum into the deciding set.
Huesler forced the Aussie to serve it out and felt the pressure as he had triple match but took all three to get there.
Millman had not won a fifth set at a slam since 2016.
His victory books him a likely second round showdown with Russian star Daniil Medvedev.
Kwon loss is a shock
By Paul Johnson
Devastated about Kwon, he was seriously impressive when I saw him in Adelaide!!
- Kim
Hey Kim,
Thanks for the comment.
He was indeed - the way he plays leaves him open to losses though - the guy goes for broke but still would have expected him to beat Eubanks based on his Adelaide form.
Millman gets break in the 5th
By Paul Johnson
Johnny Millman has the crowd erupting here.
He's now up 3-1 in the 5th set against Marc-Andrea Huesler and looks to be closing in on a second round berth.
To get an idea about the crowd, it's been this loud for much of the last hour.
Adelaide 2 champ out in opener
By Paul Johnson
The highs and lows of tennis have been on full display for Soon-Woo Kwon in the last 48 hours.
On Saturday he lifted his second ATP250 title and did so as a 'lucky loser' beating Spanish star Roberto Bautista Agut in the final.
But now in Melbourne he's been sent packing in five sets by American wildcard Christopher Eubanks in the first round.
Kwon hung around to sign autographs for a legion of fans but his Australian summer is over.
Still it was a successful one for Korea's top-ranked player.
Millmania rocking Court 3
By Paul Johnson
You wouldn't believe it but John Millman is into a 5-setter at a grand slam.
The veteran Australian has the place rocking at the moment after dominating the 4th set against Swiss lefty Marc-Andrea Huesler 6-2.
The Australian's grit and determination on full display as he forced a decider.
"It's John Millman, it's the Australian Open, of course there was gonna be a 5th set," exclaimed the Nine Network commentator.
Strap in because these ones are often tight at the back end with the Queenslander.
Aussie update: Millman, Hijikata need comebacks
By Paul Johnson
Out on Court 8 Australian wildcard Rinky Hijikata is down a set to German qualifier Yannick Hanfmann but remains on serve in the second.
John Millman is down 2 sets to 1 on court 3, having lost the third to Swiss player Marc-Andrea Huesler in a tiebreak.
Millman has just broken for a 3-0 lead in the third.
Time to take a question on Johnny Mac
By Paul Johnson
Gday Paul. Watched the McEnroe documentary last night and wondered whether his behaviour would pass today's standards. Keen for your thoughts
- Douglas
Hey Douglas,
Thanks for the question.
I watched it too and honestly wondered the same thing but what would be interesting is whether McEnroe would have the same gripes, given the improvements in technology and lesser reliance on people calling the lines.
Was an interesting doco though.
Nadal beats wounded Brit
By Paul Johnson
In the end that was quite the anticlimax.
Nadal, who was far from his best throughout the match advanced with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, 6-1 victory over a physically decimated Jack Draper.
Cramp began to set in for the 21-year-old Brit in the third set and though he fought valiantly his physical problems became too much.
By the end of the match Draper could barely get up to serve and his second serve was registering at just over 100kph in what was a meek end to his Australian summer.
For Nadal the win was far from impressive.
The Spaniard frequently missed forehands by big margins and in a rare site his unforced errors tallied a higher amount than his winners 46-41.
Nadal said the last year was one of the most emotional of his career but added that after poor form to end 2022 and start 2023 this win would help him.
"Just super happy to be back with a victory that I needed," Nadal said.
"The last couple of months haven't been easy but hopefully this victory will help me."
Nadal had lost five of his last six matches on tour dating back to The Paris Masters in October, his only win coming against Casper Ruud at the ATP Finals in Turin.
He had suffered losses to Tommy Paul, Taylor Fritz, Felix Augr-Aliassime, Cameron Norrie and Alex De Minaur before today's victory.
Asked about his performance Nadal deflected slightly and praised his opponent.
"If we put in perspective all the situation I went through the last six months ... I played against one of the toughest opponents possible not being seeded here," he said of Draper.
"We are going to see him playing a lot of years here having good results."
Mackenzie Macdonald awaits Nadal in the second round after the American upset countryman Brandon Nakashima in five sets.
Millman levels up
By Paul Johnson
In outside court action John Millman has levelled his first round match with Marc-Andrea Huesler at a set apiece.
After dropping the opener in a tiebreak Millman took the second 7-5.
Then match is on serve in the third.
Kubler wins battle of former junior world number ones
By Paul Johnson
Jason Kubler is the latest Australian to chalk up a win on day one of the Australian Open and the first Aussie man into the second round.
Kubler knocked off Argentina's Sebastian Baez in straight sets 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 in battle of former world number one juniors.
Kubler had that honour in 2010, Baez 2018.
"It's been a long time, thank you everyone for coming out today.
"I am so happy I got to play in front of all you guys."
Asked where he ranked the win Kubler said he was happy to "perform in my home country".
Kubler's win brought some much-needed good news for Australian tennis fans, coming just an hour after Nick Kyrgios withdrew from the tournament with a knee injury.
Kubler has a tough task second up against Russian 18th seed Karen Khachanov.
Khachanov was a semifinalist at last year's US Open.
Kubler said he hopes the match takes place on a show court in front of what could be a boisterous home crowd.
And the first men's seed gone is......
By Paul Johnson
Borna Coric.
It took most of the day for a men's seed to drop but the Croatian number 21 seed has that dubious honour at this year's event.
He went out in straight sets too.
Czech Jiri Lehecka, sending him packing in regulation style 6-3, 6-3, 6-3.
Nadal takes the third
By Paul Johnson
Could there be a worse player to be suffering cramp against than Rafael Nadal?
Probably not.
Bu that's the issue for Jack Draper right now ... the good news for him is Nadal too is struggling.
Not physically, but with his game.
The Spaniard had a 4-1 lead in that set before a slew of unforced errors brought Draper back into it but at 4-5 Nadal broke to take a 2 sets to 1 lead in the match.
This isn't the usual clinical Nadal performance but he's moving Draper around the court well to hurt him physically and it's something he will look to continue to do.
Don't stick with Dunlop
By Paul Johnson
Plenty has been said about the Dunlop balls this tournament, mostly by Nadal but Draper has just handed a couple back to chair umpire John Blom.
They lost their pressure. Tennis Australia may want to look at that for the future.
Kyrgios promises to 'be back stronger'
By Paul Johnson
Quick update on Kyrgios via his Instagram.
Fair warning his story has some pretty gross content of what was drained from his knee recently.
Aussie update: Kubler cruising, Millman in dogfight
By Paul Johnson
It wouldn't be a grand slam without Aussie veteran John Millman involved in a knock down, drag out slugfest and so it is once again at the 2023 Australian Open.
Millman dropped an hour-long opening set 10-8 in a breaker to Switzerland's Marc-Andrea Husler and is on serve in the second set.
Meanwhile fellow Australian Jason Kubler is up two sets to love over Argentine Sebastian Baez.
It's good stuff from Kubler because early last year Baez, before suffering injury, was one of the fastest rising players on tour.
In case you were wondering fans seem to really love Kubler, who at 29 is playing some great tennis after a career that was plagued by injury.
Draper battling cramp
By Paul Johnson
In what is great news for Nadal, who continues to miss the court wildly at times, Jack Draper is beginning to cramp.
The issue is one the Brit has struggled with throughout his young career to date and it's just what Nadal needs, because he was in deep trouble during the late stages of the second set.
Draper staved off two break points before Nadal eventually broke him for a 3-1 lead in the third set.
The Spaniard then consolidated for a 4-1 lead as Draper received treatment for his issue.
Draper levels up with Nadal
By Paul Johnson
While all of the Nick Kyrgios drama was playing out in the media centre, things on Rod Laver Arena took a dramatic turn.
Nadal came off his level and it's been all Jack Draper in the second set as he broke Nadal's serve at will to take the second set 6-2.
In a very obvious change towards the end of the set Nadal seemed to want to shorten the points against his much younger opponent.
The one thing that killed Nadal during that second set... unforced errors.
It's unusual for the Spaniard to make mistakes like that but in the second set he had 14 unforced errors to Draper's 6 and it has been an unfortunate hallmark of his game in the last few months.
It's something he will have to rectify if he wants to wrest back control of this match and his title defence.
