Australian Open | Defending champion Naomi Osaka advances to second round

(Melbourne) Defending champion Naomi Osaka, 14^and world, made a success of its entry in the running by quietly dismissing the Colombian Camila Osorio (50^and) 6-3, 6-3, Monday in Melbourne.

“It’s always special to come back here, I have a lot of good memories. I feel good, certainly thanks to the welcoming public, ”said the double winner in Melbourne whose 2021 season had been psychologically difficult to the point of ending it in September.

In the next round, the 24-year-old Japanese will face Ukrainian Dayana Yastremska (144^and) or the American Madison Brengle (54^and).

Osaka, ex-N. 1, has won four Grand Slam titles: the Australian Open in 2019 and 2021, as well as the US Open in 2018 and 2020.

After her title in Melbourne, she had a psychologically difficult 2021, admitting to having suffered from depression. She thus withdrew before her 2^and turn to Roland-Garros and gave up Wimbledon. She then ended her season after her elimination at 3^and US Open tour in September.

Osaka returned to competition in January at the WTA tournament in Melbourne where she advanced to the semi-finals before retiring with an abdominal injury

Italian Camila Giorgi, 33^and world, is the first player to have qualified for the second round of the Australian Open by quietly dismissing the Russian Anastasia Potapova (68^and) 6-4, 6-0 in 1:12 a.m. on Monday in Melbourne.

In the next round, the 30-year-old will face Czech Tereza Martinkova (47^and) or the American Lauren Davis (90^and).

The Italian has reached three times the 3^and round in Melbourne without ever passing it and she remains on an elimination at 2^and round last year.

Kristina Mladenović, 88^and world, was dominated by the Swiss Belinda Bencic (22^and) 6-4, 6-3 in 89 minutes, Monday at 1^er tower.

Bencic, 24, will face in the next round the American Amanda Anisimova (60th) or the Dutch Arianne Hartono (189th)

Mladenovic, 28, had started strong by taking Bencic’s face-off from the start, but it broke in stride.

Trailing 5-4, Mladenovic conceded the first set losing her white serve.

The players again exchanged face-offs at the start of the second set, but Bencic broke away 4-1 and did not let her opponent come back.

The Frenchwoman, who had reached the 3^and round last year, left Melbourne in the first round like the previous four years.

Fiona Ferro, 101^and world, fought, but finally bowed logically against the Ukrainian Elina Svitolina (17^and) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4).

Overtaken in the first round, where she committed 14 unforced errors against her opponent’s seven, the 24-year-old Frenchwoman completely rebalanced the debates in the second.

She even managed the break to lead 5-4 and serve to equalize at one set everywhere.

But the 27-year-old Ukrainian won the tiebreaker where she won.

Quarter-finalist in Melbourne in 2018 and 2019, Svitolina will face in the next round another Frenchwoman, Harmony Tan (107^and) who dismissed the Kazakh Yulia Putintseva (42^and) 6-3, 6-3.

Last year, Svitolina was eliminated in the round of 16.

Ferro had been eliminated in the 1^er tour in 2019 for his first participation in the Australian Major, then in the 2^and in 2020 and on the 3^and in 2021.

On the men’s side, Benjamin Bonzi, 65^and worldwide, got off to a flying start on Monday at the 1^er round where he beat the German Peter Gojowczyk (87^and) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3 in 1h34.

The Frenchman, who is taking part in the Australian Major for the first time at the age of 25, will face the Russian Karen Khachanov (30^and) or the American Denis Kudla (109^and).

Gael Monfils, 19^and worldwide, sent the Argentinian Federico Coria (64^and) 6-1, 6-1, 6-3, a year after the tears that had marked his impotence when he entered the running in the 2021 edition.

At 2^and round, the 35-year-old Frenchman will face the Kazakh Alexander Bublik (35^and) or the American Ernesto Escobedo (141^and).

Athletic, precise and solid, Monfils dominated Coria head and shoulders, who however had a medical alert.

After the loss of the 2^and round, the Argentinian brought the doctor to the court who listened to his heart with a stethoscope before letting him resume play.