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After so much drama around Novak Djokovic, the Australian Open 2022 finally kicked off on January 17 without the Serbian. Some of the biggest tennis players across the globe were seen in action on Monday and Day 1 of the first Grand Slam of the year was not short of any action. From some incredible victories to big upsets, it turned out to be a majestic Monday in Melbourne.

Here are the key highlights of Australian Open 2021 Day 1:

Men's Singles

Rafael Nadal (6th seeded) kicked off his campaign with a dominating straight-set win over USA's Marcos Giron. Meanwhile, Alexander Zverev (3rd seeded) also registered a comprehensive victory in the first round. Among some of the other top players, Matteo Berrettini (7th seeded), Hubert Hurkacz (10th seeded) and Denis Shapovalov (14th seeded) had a challenging start but the trio booked their slot in the next round with well-fought 4-set victories for each. 

Among the biggest upsets of the day in men's singles, Great Britain's Cameron Norrie (12th seeded) and South Africa's Lloyd Harris (30th seeded) bowed out of the event after facing defeats in the first round on Monday. 

Summary of key matches (men's singles) on Day 1:

Result Score
Alexander Zverev (3) def. Daniel Altmaier7-6 (3), 6-1, 7-6 (1)
Rafael Nadal (6) def. Marcos Giron6-1, 6-4, 6-2
M Berrettini (7) def. B Nakashima4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5), 6-3
Hubert Hurkacz (10) def. Egor Gerasimov6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-7 (5), 6-3
Sebastian Korda def. Cameron Norrie (12)6-3, 6-0, 6-4
Denis Shapovalov (14) def. Laslo Dere6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (3)
Cristian Garin (16) def. Facundo Bagnis6-3, 6-4, 5-7, 6-7 (4), 6-3
Gael Monfils (17) def. Federico Coria6-1, 6-1, 6-3
Pablo Carreno (19) def. Tomas Etcheverry6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (2)
Aleksandar Vukic def. Lloyd Harris (30) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-6 (3)

Women's Singles

Ashleigh Barty (1) produced a flawless performance as she registered a dominating victory in the first round while losing only one game in the entire match. Meanwhile, Barbora Krejcikova (4th seeded) and Maria Sakkari (5th seeded) also registered convincing straight-set wins. Defending champion Naomi Osaka (13th seeded) also began her campaign with an impressive victory.

However, there were a few big upsets with Australian Open 2020 champion Sofia Kenin (11th seeded) and the talented Coco Gauff (18th seeded) facing unexpected defeats to bow out of the Grand Slam in the first round itself.

Summary of key matches (women's singles) on Day 1:

Result Score
Ashleigh Barty (1) def. Lesia Tsurenko6-0, 6-1
Barbora Krejcikova (4) def. Andrea Petkovic6-2, 6-0
Maria Sakkari (5) def. Tatjana Maria6-4, 7-6 (2)
Madison Keys def. Sofia Kenin (11)7-6 (2), 7-5
Naomi Osaka (13) def. Camila Osorio6-3, 6-3
Elina Svitolina (15) def. Fiona Ferro6-1, 7-6 (4)
Wang Qiang def. Coco Gauff (18)6-4, 6-2
Anhelina Kalinina def. Jessica Pegula (21)6-4, 6-7 (1), 7-5
Belinda Bencic (22) def. Kristina Mladenovic6-4, 6-3
Viktoria Azarenka (24) def. Panna Udvardy6-3, 6-1

After an exciting start to the tournament, some big names like Stefanos Tsitsipas, Nick Kyrgios, Andy Murray, Daniil Medvedev, Andrey Rublev, Elise Mertens, Simona Halep, Angelique Kerber etc. will be seen in action on Day 2 (January 18, Tuesday).