(Melbourne) Italian Jasmine Paolini was dominant from the start at the Australian Open, winning 6-1, 6-2 in just over an hour against Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Sunday.
Paolini (seventh) won the first round in just 27 minutes against Sasnovich (102e) on center court, giving the crowd what they wanted as a curtain-raiser to this first major tournament of the season.
At the end of the day, the world’s leading rackets Aryna Sabalenka and Carlos Alcaraz will make their debut. The Belarusian will face the French Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah (118e), while the Spaniard takes on the Australian Adam Walton (79e).
Sabalenka is seeking her third Australian Open title. She lost in the final last year against American Madison Keys (ninth).
Alcaraz, for his part, will try to win the only Grand Slam tournament he is missing, although he has triumphed twice in France, England and the United States.
The American Venus Williams (576e) will become the oldest player, at 45, to play a main draw match in Australia. She will face the Serbian Olga Danilovic (68e).
Williams has never won the Australian Open. She reached the final in 2003 and 2017, losing to her sister Serena each time.
