Auger-Aliassime suffers upset loss at Adelaide International
Leylah Fernandez victorious in ASB Classic opener, Venus Williams earns 1st singles win since 2021
Canada's Felix Auger-Aliassime, ranked No. 6 in the world, began his 2023 season with a straight-sets defeat at the hands of Australian qualifier Alexei Popyrin on Monday in the ATP 250 Adelaide International 1 first round.
Auger-Aliassime enjoyed a strong second half of the 2022 season, picking up titles in Florence, Antwerp and Basel, as well as helping Canada to the Davis Cup crown, but failed to reach those levels in a 6-4 7-6(5) loss to Popyrin.
The 23-year-old Australian fired 11 aces against his second-seeded opponent to wrap up the biggest victory of his career. His previous two wins over top 10 opponents, Dominic Thiem and Stefanos Tsitsipas, came via retirements.
"Yeah, really good win for me, especially coming off last season where I only had five wins on the circuit. For me it's a very important win," Popyrin told reporters in Australia.
WATCH | Auger-Aliassime defeated by Australian qualifier:
"I know I have the level to play against guys like that, and today just proved it, so yeah, I'm happy. I'm not surprised, to be honest, but I'm happy with it."
Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic lost his doubles match but received a warm welcome from the crowd on Monday. The 21-time major winner was deported from Australia a year ago after arriving unvaccinated against COVID-19 at a time when the country was still subject to strict quarantine regulations and proof of vaccination.
His first match was a low-key doubles encounter alongside Vancouver's Vasek Pospisil, and the pair lost 4-6 6-3 (10-5) to Tomislav Brkic and Gonzalo Escobar.
Questions about how he would be received were quickly answered when Djokovic's supporters flocked to the stadium to welcome him back. Djokovic begins his singles campaign on Tuesday against Constant Lestienne as he builds up to the Australian Open, where he is looking for a record-extending 10th title.
Earlier, Czech teenager Linda Noskova produced one of the first major shocks of the 2023 season when she beating eighth-ranked Russian Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3.
The 102-ranked 18-year-old came through a tough qualifying draw in which she beat world No. 58 Anna Kalinskaya and No. 43 Anastasia Potapova before achieving the biggest win of her career over third-seeded Kastkina.
Fernandez, Marino advance in Auckland
Canada's 2021 U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez opened her season with an emphatic 6-1, 6-1 win Monday over 15-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtova in the first round of the ASB Classic in Auckland.
Third-seeded Fernandez needed only 61 minutes to sweep by the Czech teenager, who entered the main draw on a wild card.
Fernandez beat three top-five players, including defending champion Naomi Osaki, on her way to the 2021 U.S. Open final where she was beaten by Britain's Emma Raducanu, who also is in the main draw at Auckland.
The 20-year-old said life had been tough since her final appearance at Flushing Meadows, which substantially raised expectations of her performance.
WATCH | Fernandez beats 15-year-old in ASB Classic opener:
"It's been tougher more mentally and emotionally because you don't really know what the future holds for you and you have these big dreams and sometimes you get knocked down and you feel like that's the end of the journey," she said.
"I try to not think about the past and just keep thinking about the present and keep moving forward.
"One of my goals is to be more consistent, to get deeper into tournaments and see where I'm at physically, mentally and also tennis-wise."
Fernandez will meet Austria's Julia Grabher in the round of 16.
Vancouver's Rebecca Marino also advanced to the round of 16 with a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over Italy's Dalma Galfi.
The eighth-seed's next opponent will be Belgium's Ysaline Bonaventure.
Williams downs U.S. qualifier
Also in Auckland, Venus Williams is back in the win column.
The 42-year-old American beat qualifier Katie Volynets 7-6 (4) 6-2 of the United States in the first round Monday for her first singles victory since Wimbledon in 2021.
The seven-time major champion has been awarded a wild-card entry to play at the Australian Open.
She ended a nine-match losing streak on the WTA tour dating back two years. Her only singles victories in that time came at Grand Slam level, most recently in a first-round win at the All England Club in 2021. She was 0-4 in singles last year.
"This is one of my favourite places to come and I was so excited that I made it here," the former No. 1 player said in her on-court interview. "It is so great to be back and thank you for staying so late and I am glad that I managed to get a win."
Williams will next face Chinese player Zhu Lin, who beat Madison Brengle.
With files from Reuters & The Associated Press
