For a tournament possessing such an enormous global scale, there are bound to be stories that warm the heart.
On Day 1 of the Australian Open, that remained the case.
Hady Habib
Plenty has been written in the last week about Hady Habib, the Lebanese tennis player making big noise on the circuit in recent months.
But for all the written noise, not much could match the din out on court 13, as Habib defeated China’s Yunchaokete Bu in front of what seemed like the whole Australian Lebanese community.
Habib, 26, only made it into the Australian Open qualifying event after winning the final Challenger of the season in Chile.
The world No.219 has absolutely ridden the wave of momentum, becoming the first Lebanese player to qualify for a main draw berth at a Slam. Add this to a list of firsts, including the first Lebanese to play tennis at the Olympics, the first to win an ATP Challenger event, and now, the first Lebanese player to win a Grand Slam main draw match.
As a result, he finds himself in uncharted waters — into the last 64 of the Australian Open, where he will play 14th seed Ugo Humbert.
Kei Nishikori
The 35-year-old veteran showed the tennis world he hasn’t lost his fight and determination for a win, coming back from two sets down against Brazil's Thiago Monteiro on John Cain Arena.
Monteiro was playing 'lights out' tennis for almost three sets, but Nishikori found a way to squeeze out the third set, even after facing two match points, before getting on top of his opponent to qualify for the second-round, 4-6 6-7 7-5 6-2 6-3.
Nishikori, a former World No.4 and US Open runner-up, has been struggling with hip, shoulder and foot injuries for the last few years, and as far back as 2017, had wrist issues.
It’s been a long time since he has had a sustained healthy run.
After the match, Nishikori admitted he was close to retirement last year.
"I had my knee and shoulder two years ago, and I almost came back. I got injured again. It was like up and downs," he said.
"I was thinking, if I have maybe another surgery, then I think mentally I [won't] able to fight anymore. It was two in a row. I had a year I couldn't play and another half year I couldn't play because of injury. That was toughest time I think, end of 2023 maybe.
"I just still love to play tennis. I love to compete. I wanted to play [in a] big stadium like today. That was my goal a year ago when I was doing rehab. I still think that I still have [a] chance to play with these top players. I'm feeling that end of last year."
Nishikori will play the winner of Tommy Paul and Christopher O’Connell.
Tatjana Maria
At age 37, Maria proves it’s never too late to keep fighting. The German has had a long career, turning pro back in 2001, reaching a career-high No.42 last year at age 36.
But despite her long career, Grand Slams have rarely been a happy hunting ground for Maria.
In 44 main draw appearances (including 14 times where she didn’t make it out of qualifying), Maria has only progressed past the second-round twice!
Once was a third-round at Wimbledon, the other was a stunning 2022 run, also at Wimbledon, where she achieved a semi-final berth.
However, apart from those results, it’s been slim pickings on the big stage.
At the Australian Open, Maria has played in 11 main draws, and today was just her third-ever win, with that win came over America's Bernarda Pera, currently ranked No.78 and a quarter-finalist in Auckland just a couple of weeks ago,
The result is a welcomed one for Maria, who has only had one win in an event above WTA 125 level since June last year.
Her press conference was short, but she summed up her feelings in a single sentence.
"Happy. Happy and also a little bit tired because it was a long day."
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Jessica Bouzas Maneiro
In her maiden main draw at the Australian Open, Bouzas Maneiro displayed why she shot up the rankings in 2024, and why some are tipping her to push into the top-30 this year.
The 22-year-old Spaniard wasted no time running through the first set 6-1 against Brit Sonay Kartel, who also had a breakout year and was playing in her first Australian Open.
Kartel fought hard in set two, but Bouzas Maneiro was simply too strong, winning in a tie-break. With a lop-sided winners count of 26 to 6, Bouzas Maneiro showed just how difficult she will be for the other players on the WTA Tour this year.
We will find out exactly where her level is in the next round when she takes on World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka in what has the potential to be a brilliant display of power-hitting.
For now, Bouzas Maneiro just wants to bask in Grand Slam victory.
"I'm so happy for my first win here. It was my first time playing here in Melbourne, the main draw. So, [I am] happy for my performance today. I want to just enjoy it today," she said.
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