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World number three Elena Rybakina overcame a slow start and saved a clutch of set points to beat Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (8/6), 6-4 in her first match at the Australian Open on Tuesday. Last year’s beaten finalist could not get on the board in the first two games as her 38th-ranked Czech opponent made a flying start. But the Kazakh third seed quickly found her feet on Rod Laver Arena against the 2019 semi-finalist, breaking to get back on terms.
The rest of the set went with serve, with Pliskova fending off three set points in the 12th game.
In the tie-break, it was Rybakina’s turn to dig deep against the two-time Grand Slam finalist.
She saved three set points, the third with a cross-court forehand that just caught the line and took the set 8-6.
The 2022 Wimbledon champion, who won the Brisbane International earlier this month, broke in the third game of the second set to establish a firm grip on the match and suffered few scares after that.
Rybakina, who will face unseeded Russian Anna Blinkova in the second round, said it had been a tough first outing.
“I’m really happy that I managed to win and survive the first set,” she said. “The second was a bit better.”
She added: “No matter what the result was last year I’m super happy to be back. It was very positive for me even though I lost (in the 2023 final).”
Stress-hit Draper vomits on court at Australian Open
Britain’s Jack Draper put in a huge effort to win a five-set epic against American Marcos Giron at the Australian Open Tuesday, before rushing to a courtside bin and vomiting.
The 22-year-old was on court for 3 hours 20 minutes in searing heat during the hottest part of the day and needed a medical timeout to have his blood pressure taken at one point.
He also suffered severe abdominal cramping before eventually coming through 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 6-0, 6-2, urging Giron to hurry for the handshake before he threw up.
“I kind of felt bad because I obviously just beat the guy, and I was saying, ‘I need to shake your hand, mate, but I need to get to that bin’,” said Draper.
He attributed his problems to anxiety and stress in pressure situations.
“For me, it feels like my breathing starts to really struggle, and I can’t get the oxygen in me,” he said.
“You are not only playing the guy, you are almost competing against yourself because you’re not obviously feeling 100 percent.
“That’s something I’m going to have to speak to someone about and try and sort of figure out methods in those situations — because it will happen again for sure — to try to calm me down.”
He added that having his blood pressure taken mid-match was because his chest felt tight.
“It (pain) was referring to my back, and I just felt I couldn’t really hold myself up. I think that’s what stress does to you,” he said, adding that similar situations had occurred before.
“Always first round you feel a little bit more out of breath. It’s obviously because of the tension. I think that’s most players. I had it in Miami when I collapsed a few years ago.
“Obviously that shows the improvement that I’m able to kind of take more suffering and deal with it (now).”
Draper will face American 14th seed Tommy Paul in the second round.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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