By Nick Mulvenney
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – World number one Jannik Sinner opened his Australian Open title defence in blazing sunshine with a win over Nicolas Jarry on Rod Laver Arena on Monday that brought the scourge of doping in the sport back into focus.
Women’s number two Iga Swiatek, who served a short doping ban last year, also progressed on a balmy day at Melbourne Park along with third seed Coco Gauff, who safely negotiated a tricky first-round encounter with 2020 champion Sofia Kenin.
Stefanos Tsitsipas, however, crashed out at the first hurdle at the hands of American young gun Alex Michelsen, much to the disappointment of the local Greek community who had turned out in numbers to support the 2023 finalist.
The sunny weather was welcome after persistent rain had chopped six hours of play out of the outer court schedule on day one but the dark cloud of doping, which has shrouded tennis over the last year, refused to budge.
Jarry served an 11-month ban for doping in 2020 and the big-serving Chilean was quick to contrast his treatment with Sinner’s avoidance of a suspension for failing two drug tests last year after losing 7-6(2) 7-6(5) 6-1 to the Italian.
“It’s tough for me to play against him … it’s a very difficult and delicate topic. What I can say is that I would have liked the same treatment as the things that I went through,” he told reporters.”
“I don’t think it was the same, so that’s all.”
Sinner, who could yet face a ban after an April hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, told reporters he was not familiar with the details of Jarry’s case.
“We got treated in the same way,” he added. “There’s the protocol. If the protocol has some issues or problem, then it’s not my fault, you know?”
Swiatek was also at the centre of allegations that the doping authorities in tennis were running a two-tier system favouring more high-profile players after she served a one-month ban late last year.
The 23-year-old five-times Grand Slam champion was not at her very best in a 6-3 6-4 victory over Czech Katerina Siniakova on Monday but was pleased enough to progress.
“I think it was a solid match and I’m happy I’m through to the second round,” she said.
Gauff, who like Swiatek could move to the top of the world rankings if results go her way in Melbourne, was more troubled by the impact of the sunshine at one end of the Rod Laver Arena court than by Kenin in her 6-3 6-3 victory.
“I could have served better but I could hardly see at that end,” said the American number one, who mixed 12 aces with nine double faults over the match.
Tsitsipas could only blame himself for his jaded performance in his 7-5 6-3 2-6 6-4 loss to Michelsen at the Grand Slam where he once beat both Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer in their prime.
“I had a fresher mind back then,” the 26-year-old said.
“I would definitely say that one thing that stood out the most back then is that I had this hunger to try and make a life out of tennis …. It was different than it is now.”
The last active player from the ‘Big Three’ of men’s tennis, Novak Djokovic, begins his quest for an 11th title at Melbourne Park and a record 25th Grand Slam crown later on Monday.
World number three Carlos Alcaraz also gets his campaign underway in the evening session, while Australian Nick Kyrgios makes his return to his home Grand Slam after two injury-ravaged seasons.
There was already plenty for local fans to cheer with James Duckworth, Jordan Thompson, James McCabe, Aleksandar Vukic and Tristan Schoolkate progressing on the men’s side along with Ajla Tomljanovic and Talia Gibson in the women’s draw.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, Ian Ransom and Lidia Kelly, editing by Peter Rutherford)
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