Three talking points for day two of the Australian Open
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The Australian Open has wasted no time in throwing up some surprises, with Caroline Wozniacki and Ivo Karlovic some of the big-name casualties to go crashing out on the opening day.
Elsewhere, Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer both got off to comfortable starts with straight sets victories, as did Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova.
It was a bad day for the Brits however, with Kyle Edmund and Heather Watson both already heading home.
So with the first Grand Slam of the year in full flow, here’s what to look out for on Day Two in Melbourne…
First Round cruise for Murray
Andy Murray kicks off his latest bid for the Australian Open with a first-round tie against 18-year-old Alexander Zverev.
The pair met at the Hopman Cup and Murray claimed a straight sets victory, and though his German opponent is improving all the time, this clash might still be too soon for Zverev to trouble the two-time Slam champion.
The Brit has dropped just one set in his last five first-round matches in Melbourne, and the evens on under 28.5 games could be the way to go.
Hewitt won’t go without a fight
Home hero Lleyton Hewitt is hanging up his racquet after this tournament, and he’ll begin his final challenge on the Rod Laver court against compatriot James Duckworth.
Duckworth has been quoted as ‘dreading’ the prospect of beating Hewitt in front of a packed home crowd, but despite the friendship between the pair, battle lines will be drawn when they set foot on court.
Two-time Grand Slam champion Hewitt is now ranked 306th in the world, some 150 places below his opponent, but in front of what will be an atmospheric crowd, we fancy this to go all the way in classic Hewitt style to five sets at 12/5.
Johanna Konta to frighten Venus
Johanna Konta can’t have looked too favourably upon the draw gods when she was paired up with five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in Round One.
However Konta faced Williams at the Wuhan Open last year, serving for the match at one stage before eventually losing in three-sets.
The 24-year-old has lost both of her two matches this year, but Konta has said she’s been happy with her performances, and the Brit seems well placed to cause tennis legend Venus some strife by taking her 35-year-old opponent to three sets at 13/8.
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