Australian Open LIVE: Today’s results as Novak Djokovic survives scare against Dino Prizmic

The Australian Open started on a Sunday for the first time as defending champions Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka opened their campaigns with contrasting wins

Novak Djokovic struggles in cricket match against Shane Warne's son at Australian Open

Novak Djokovic survived a huge scare on the opening day of the Australian Open as the defending men’s champion held off the challenge of 18-year-old qualifier Dino Prizmic.

The 10-time Australian Open winner, who is targeting a record 25th grand slam title in Melbourne this month, was forced to produce his best tennis in a physical match by an inspired opponent as Djokovic battled to a 6-2 6-7 6-3 6-4 win in just over four hours - the longest first-round match Djokovic has ever played at a grand slam.

But there was more than a hint of an upset on the cards as the underdog Prizmic, ranked 178th world, broke Djokovic to lead the match midway through the third set. From there, the 36-year-old responded in typically clinical style - winning the next eight games in a row to dismiss his young challenger as he finally got over the line.

Aryna Sabalenka then began the defence of her Australian Open title with a 53-minute drubbing of German teenager Ella Seidel. Sabalenka’s encounter with an 18-year-old qualifier could not have been more different to DJokovic’s, with the Belarusian completing a 6-0 6-1 victory.

Britain’s Jodie Burrage was unable to build on a good start as her Australian Open debut ended with a first-round loss to German Tamara Korpatsch, however, with the British number two losing the last seven games in a 2-6 6-3 6-0 defeat.

Australian Open: Perfect start to Djokovic’s defence?

“It was like playing myself in the mirror,” the 24-time grand slam champion said after beating the 18-year-old qualifier. Naturally, Novak Djokovic was full of praise for the teenager who had just dragged him through the longest first-round match of his grand slam career, an absorbing battle over four hours and one minute against the previously unknown Dino Prizmic. In Djokovic’s eyes, it signalled the arrival of a new star. You have to go back to January 2006 for the last time Djokovic lost a first-round match at a grand slam. If Prizmic had barely been alive for six months then, the Croatian briefly threatened to end a streak that is almost as old as he is.

There was a sense that this historic first opening Sunday at the Australian Open lacked a little intrigue when the order of play was released, given that the two defending champions in Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka were drawn against 18-year-old qualifiers who were without a single previous grand slam appearance to their names. Late into the Melbourne night, Sabalenka showed why that was the case with her ruthless destruction of Germany’s Ella Seidel, who struggled from the start and then became completely overwhelmed by the occasion. Sabalenka won 6-0 6-1 in less than an hour and it was barely a contest.

By then, the pair of opening title defences couldn’t have been more different.

Jamie Braidwood14 January 2024 15:23

Australian Open LIVE

The Australian Open continues on Monday as two of tennis’s most popular players, Andy Murray and Coco Gauff, make their bow in Melbourne,

It is now five years since three-time grand slam champion Murray contemplated retirement and a highlights montage was shown after his first-round exit in Melbourne that appeared to signal the end of his career. But he got a new hip, held on to his love of the game and is aiming for a deep run on his 16th appearance in the main draw of a tournament where he is a five-time runner-up.

The 36-year-old faces 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the third match on the Kia Arena and victory would keep the Brit on a third-round collision course with his all-conquering old rival Novak Djokovic.

Meanwhile, Gauff has set her sights on winning 10 grand slams after claiming her first at last year’s US Open and the quest for No 2 begins on Rod Laver Arena against Anna Karolina Schmiedlova in the first game of the day.

The Australian Open may have started on a Sunday and will be played as a 15-day event for the first time this year but Monday is when the tournament really heats up. The night session sees home favourite Alex de Minaur face Milos Raonic and Naomi Osaka make her long-awaited return against Caroline Garcia. Here’s everything you need to know.

Jamie Braidwood14 January 2024 13:57

Australian Open LIVE

Today’s results - women’s singles

K Rakhimova (Rus) bt E Bektas (USA) 6-4 6-4

L Tsurenko (Ukr) bt L Bronzetti (Ita) 3-6 7-5 6-3

L Fernandez (Can) bt S Bejlek (Cze) 7-6 (7-5) 6-2

B Krejcikova (Cze) bt M Hontama (Jpn) 2-6 6-4 6-3

E Avanesyan (Rus) bt Z Bai (Chn) 4-6 7-5 6-2

T Korpatsch (Ger) bt J Burrage (Gbr) 2-6 6-3 6-0

A Parks (USA) bt D Snigur (Ukr) 2-6 6-2 6-4

M Timofeeva (Rus) bt A Cornet (Fra) 6-2 6-4

B Fruhvirtova (Cze) bt A Bogdan (Rom) 2-6 6-4 6-3

M Sakkari (Gre) bt N Hibino (Jpn) 6-4 6-1,

D Parry (Fra) bt X Wang (Chn) 6-3 2-6 6-3

A Anisimova (USA) bt L Samsonova (Rus) 6-3 6-4

A Korneeva (Rus) bt S Sorribes Tormo (Spa) 4-6 6-3 6-2

C Dolehide (USA) bt L Jeanjean (Fra) 6-2 6-4

C Wozniacki (Den) bt M Linette (Pol) 6-2 2-0 Retired

A Sabalenka (Blr) bt E Seidel (Ger) 6-0 6-1

Jamie Braidwood14 January 2024 14:37

Australian Open LIVE

Today’s results - men’s singles

J Munar (Spa) bt A Shevchenko (Rus) 6-3 6-3 6-1

M Arnaldi (Ita) bt A Walton (Aus) 7-6 (7-5) 6-2 6-4

J Sinner (Ita) bt B van de Zandschulp (Ned) 6-4 7-5 6-3

P Kotov (Rus) bt A Rinderknech (Fra) 7-5 6-1 6-7 (6-8) 6-7 (5-7) 6-3

F Cerundolo (Arg) bt D Sweeny (Aus) 3-6 6-3 6-4 2-6 6-2

F Marozsan (Hun) bt M Cilic (Cro) 6-1 2-6 6-2 7-5

A Rublev (Rus) bt T Seyboth Wild (Bra) 7-5 6-4 3-6 4-6 7-6 (10-6)

T Machac (Cze) bt S Mochizuki (Jpn) 7-5 6-1 7-5

C O’Connell (Aus) bt C Garin (Chi) 3-6 7-5 4-6 6-1 7-5

J de Jong (Ned) bt P Cachin (Arg) 4-6 6-2 6-3 6-4

S Baez (Arg) bt J Wolf (USA) 3-6 6-2 6-3 3-0 Retired

T Fritz (USA) bt F Acosta (Arg) 4-6 6-3 3-6 6-2 6-

D Galan (Col) bt J Kubler (Aus) 2-6 6-3 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 7-6 (10-8)

Q Halys (Fra) bt L Harris (Rsa) 4-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-5 7-6 (7-2)

N Djokovic (Ser) bt D Prizmic (Cro) 6-2 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-4

F Tiafoe (USA) bt B Coric (Cro) 6-3 7-6 (9-7) 2-6 6-3

Jamie Braidwood14 January 2024 14:24

Australian Open LIVE

The Americans battle through! Big wins today for Frances Tiafoe and Taylor Fritz as they earn a place in the second round.

It wasn’t easy though: Tiafoe, the 17th seed, needed three and a half hours to get past the challenge of Borna Coric - while Fritz, the 12th seed, had to come from behind to see off Facundo Diaz Acosta in five sets.

Jamie Braidwood14 January 2024 13:56

Australian Open LIVE

Game, set and match!

Brutal. That was a crushing from Aryna Sabalenka as the defending champion gets her title defence underway with a 6-0 6-1 win over Ella Seidel, who was completely overwhelmed by the occasion.

Just the 53 minutes needed there from the World No 2.

Jamie Braidwood14 January 2024 13:38

Australian Open LIVE

This has been tough for Ella Seidel and Sabalenka has powered to a 6-0 3-0 lead in 35 minutes. A remarkable contrast of matches, given the extent that Djokovic was pushed earlier.

Jamie Braidwood14 January 2024 13:20

Australian Open LIVE

So the men’s champion was given a scare by an 18-year-old qualifier, how about the women’s champion?

Aryna Sabalenka’s defence is underway against the 18-year-old German qualifier Ella Seidel. who so far has been unable to make the same first impression as Primzic.

Sabalenka leads 4-0 in the opening set and is looking very strong indeed.

Jamie Braidwood14 January 2024 12:58

Australian Open LIVE - Djokovic vs Prizmic

Novak Djokovic was given a scare by Croatian teenager Dino Prizmic in the longest first-round match of his grand slam career.

The world number one is a big favourite to win an 11th title at Melbourne Park, where he has not lost since 2018, but he dropped the second set as 18-year-old Prizmic showed what makes him a major talent for the future.

The qualifier was briefly a break up in the third set and kept battling after Djokovic stepped things up before the defending champion finally clinched a 6-2 6-7 (5) 6-3 6-4 victory on his seventh match point after four hours and one minute.

Report from Eleanor Crooks in Melbourne

Jamie Braidwood14 January 2024 12:57

Australian Open LIVE - Who is Dino Prizmic?

Prizmic offered a glimpse of his talent when he won the junior Roland Garros title at the French Open last season, while he made his breakthrough on the ATP Challenger circuit - the level below the professional tour - when he won the title in Banja Luka.

But Prizmic still entered the season ranked 178 in the world and very much an unknown in the wider tennis world. The Croatian is from Split and came from the same tennis club where former Wimbledon champion - and Djokovic’s current coach -  Goran Ivanisevic also learned how to play the game.

Jamie Braidwood14 January 2024 12:47