Australia’s top-ranked men’s tennis player, Alex de Minaur, kicked off his US Open journey with a decisive straight-sets win over Italian qualifier Andrea Guerrieri. Despite a delayed start and a subsequent two-hour rain interruption, the seventh-seeded De Minaur triumphed 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. This victory sets him up for a second-round clash against Dutch player Botic van de Zandschulp.

During the match, De Minaur showcased his skill by breaking Guerrieri’s serve twice in each set and conceding his own serve only once. He managed to complete the match in under two hours of actual playtime, a feat that comes amid a tight schedule due to persistent rain in New York. With the weather causing disruptions, De Minaur may face the challenge of playing three matches over three consecutive days as he aims to progress further in the tournament.

On the women’s side of the draw, Australian Maya Joint made headlines by taking a set off a top-10 opponent, becoming the first Australian woman to do so at this year’s tournament. Despite this achievement, she was eventually defeated by ninth seed Elina Svitolina, with scores of 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-4.

Elsewhere in the women’s competition, Daria Kasatkina exited the tournament after a loss to Spain’s Paula Badosa, and Taylah Preston suffered a heavy defeat at the hands of American Taylor Townsend, with a 6-1, 6-1 scoreline. Another Australian, Kim Birrell, was also eliminated following her match against Russia’s Ekaterina Alexandrova, which ended 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.