WARNING SHOTS: Sinner, Gauff cruise past opening

WARNING SHOTS: Sinner, Gauff cruise past opening | Daily Tribune

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) — World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was warmly welcomed on center court despite a doping controversy and then powered into the Australian Open second round Monday with a hard-fought win over Nicolas Jarry.

The 23-year-old defending champion is heavy favorite to win again at Melbourne Park after a sensational 2024 saw him become the top-ranked player in men’s tennis.

He carried that form into his first match of the season on Rod Laver Arena, grinding past the big-hitting Chilean 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 to clock his 16th straight Tour-level win.

Meanwhile, Coco Gauff said she had “set the tone” for a deep Australian Open run after firing a warning shot to her rivals with a straight-sets defeat of a former champion in the first round.

The world No. 3, who is unbeaten this year after leading the US to win the United Cup, eased past the 2020 Melbourne Park winner Sofia Kenin 6-3, 6-3 in 80 minutes on a sun-drenched Rod Laver Arena.

Gauff said she was very satisfied with how she had handled a potentially tricky opening encounter against a gutsy fellow American.

“Honestly, when I saw the draw, I was, like, it’s not a great first round,” Gauff admitted.

“She’s one of those people that can play great tennis. She’s obviously won this tournament before.”

“I just think of the positives of if you get through that, then you have set the tone for having a high level throughout the tournament.”

Sinner was playing his first match since the Court of Arbitration for Sport last week announced it would hear an appeal by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in April over a drugs scandal that rocked the Italian last year.

He tested positive twice for the banned steroid clostebol in March, but said the drug entered his system when his physio used a spray containing it to treat a cut.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted the explanation and exonerated him, only for WADA to appeal.

The Melbourne crowd held nothing against him, with Sinner greeted by applause when he walked on court and no sign of animosity through the match, and big cheers when he won.

“Today it was a close one because in the first sets it could have gone both ways,” said Sinner, who has not tasted defeat since losing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Beijing final in October.

“In the third when I broke for the first time it gave me room to breathe. I’m happy with how I handled a couple of tough situations and happy to get through the first round.”

The writing was on the wall for Jarry, with Sinner winning his last 13 matches in straight sets.

But the Chilean put up a fight, saving set point at 5-6 in the first and taking it to a tiebreak, where Sinner switched up a gear to race through and seal it with an ace.

It was a similar story in set two, with neither player able to break serve and Sinner again coming good when it mattered in the tiebreaker.

Jarry’s resolve was broken with Sinner racing to a 3-0 lead in the third and cruising home.

Sinner, who defeated Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in last year’s final to secure his first major, will next meet either Japan’s Taro Daniel or Australian wildcard Tristan Schoolkate.

He could face Australian Alex de Minaur in the quarterfinals and Medvedev in the semis.

Along with the Australian Open title in 2024, Sinner added the US Open and ATP Finals crowns on his way to becoming the first player since Roger Federer in 2005 to go through a season without a defeat in straight sets.

He won eight titles and also made the semis at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, completing a breakthrough year by leading Italy to a successful defense of the Davis Cup.