On January 12, 2025, the Australian Open Tennis Championships continued with a major upset in the first round. Last year's quarterfinalist and 29th seed, Marketa Vondrousova, lost 1-2 to Danish player Clara Tauson, becoming the first eliminated singles seed. Chinese players had a mixed day with one win and two losses, with only Zheng Qinwen advancing.
In the women's singles, the first seeded player of this year's Australian Open was eliminated. Czech star and 29th seed Marketa Vondrousova suffered a comeback defeat, losing 7-5/3-6/4-6 to Danish player Clara Tauson. After leading 1-0, she lost two consecutive sets. Recall that in last year's Australian Open, Vondrousova made a strong rise, defeating Swiatek to reach the quarterfinals, leaving a deep impression on many. However, this year she started off poorly, indicating that her overall abilities still fall short.
Chinese players experienced both joy and concern. Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen did not have an easy victory, winning 7-6(3)/6-1 against Romanian player Elena-Gabriela Ruse. In the first set, her opponent took the lead, but Zheng saved three match points and seized the opportunity in the tiebreak. In the second set, as Zheng found her rhythm, Ruse was helpless. As the runner-up of last year's Australian Open, Zheng has now advanced to the second round for four consecutive years.
As for Wang Xinyu, her performance was average, losing 3-6/6-7(5) to 11th seed Spanish player Paula Badosa. This result was not unexpected, but the process was somewhat regrettable. In the first set, Wang led 3-1 but failed to maintain her advantage, allowing Badosa to win five consecutive games. In the second set tiebreak, Wang suddenly faltered, making 40 unforced errors throughout the match. Over the past two years, Wang has been more about participating in the Australian Open, only earning the first-round prize money.
The defending champion is Belarusian star Aryna Sabalenka, the top seed with five consecutive Grand Slam titles. Sabalenka swept American player Sloane Stephens 6-3/6-2. Stephens is no slouch, having won the US Open and reached the French Open final. 18th seed Croatian star Donna Vekic won her first match, defeating French player Alize Cornet 6-4/6-4. 30th seed Canadian player Leylah Fernandez defeated Dubceva 7-5/6-4.
In men's singles, Bu Yunchaokete was expected to advance, but Lebanese player Basil Ashbey outperformed him, with a level of play surpassing most qualifying players. Bu lost 6-7(4)/4-6/6-7(6) to Ashbey. There are still Zhang Zhizhen and Shang Juncheng in Chinese men's singles, but their first rounds were tough, especially for Zhang, who faced Danish star Rune right from the start.
Additionally, the 6th seed almost exited in the first round. Norwegian star Casper Ruud staged a comeback after losing the second and fourth sets, defeating Spanish player Jaume Munar 6-3/1-6/7-5/2-6/6-1. Japanese player Kei Nishikori saved two match points, winning 4-6/6-7(4)/7-5/6-2/6-3 against Brazilian player Thiago Monteiro, which was a hard-fought victory.