Sinner goes through, Tsitsipas the first big name to fall

World No 1 Jannik Sinner was warmly welcomed on centre court despite a doping controversy and then powered into the Australian Open second round on Monday with a hard-fought win over Nicolas Jarry.

The 23-year-old defending champion is heavy favourite 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.

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 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.

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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 defence of the Davis Cup.

TSITSIPAS THE FIRST BIG NAME TO FALL

American Alex Michelsen claimed the biggest win of his career when he stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas 7-5 6-3 2-6 6-4 in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday as the Greek 11th seed became the first major casualty at Melbourne Park.

Michelsen had beaten Tsitsipas at the Japan Open last year and the 20-year-old American kept his unbeaten record against Tsitsipas, a 2023 finalist at the Melbourne Grand Slam.

Michelsen kept his cool under pressure on rallies and found success at the net while his baseline game looked effortless as he fired 46 winners past Tsitsipas, who had pulled out of the doubles draw at Melbourne Park to focus on his singles campaign.

"My whole role was to try to go deep into the Australian Open. I knew the first thing I had to consider was not play doubles," said Tsitsipas, who also exited last year's US Open in the first round.

"I guess karma hit me, I was not able to deliver or play the way I was hoping to... The whole purpose was just to save up on some energy and be fresher hopefully in the deeper draw of the tournament."

Tsitsipas looked well in control in the first set but midway through he began making several errors off Michelsen's serve before the American pounced in the 12th game, taking the set with a backhand winner down the line.

The turning point in the second set came when Michelsen was 4-3 up and he produced a disguised forehand drop shot that left Tsitsipas well short as the crowd roared its approval.

Michelsen even put his hand up in apology even though the ball did not touch the net cord on its way over and Tsitsipas never recovered as his young opponent went 5-3 up and served out the set to love in the final game.

RENEWED FOCUS

But the Greek began the third set with renewed focus as he raced into a 4-1 lead and seemed to have rediscovered his range on his first serve, forcing plenty of errors from Michelsen.

With the American serving to stay in the set, Tsitsipas had set point when he fired a backhand down the line and this time he read another drop shot from Michelsen to smash a forehand winner to get on the scoreboard.

Tsitsipas's momentum evaporated in the first game of the fourth set, however, when Michelsen broke the 11th seed, who was left fuming as he smashed his racket on his kit bag.

A flurry of searing return winners from Michelsen at 4-4 gave him the opportunity to serve for the match and he sealed victory with another powerful serve.

"I just tried to stay super composed out there today, I knew it was going to be a battle in the end," Michelsen said.

"I came in with the proper mindset and I executed the game plan."

Michelsen will play either Australian wildcard James McCabe or Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce in the next round.

TIAFOE SURVIVES SICKNESS TO ADVANCE

Frances Tiafoe admitted it was touch and go whether he would carry on after vomiting on court during a testing five-set win.

The American was sick just behind the baseline and again on the edge of the court at a crunch moment at 5-6 in the fourth set against Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech.

He managed to continue and came through 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 in 4hr 8min.

"Honestly, when I threw up, I felt like, returning 5-6, I could be out of here in two minutes, out of here in five minutes," he said.

"I think if it was, you know, any other event, I probably would have let it go. But here, you got to lay it all on the line."

Tiafoe, a two-time US Open semifinalist, was playing in the middle of the day in hot weather, but he laid the blame at being over-hydrated rather than the heat.

"I threw up all electrolytes and water. Wasn't like food in the tank was the issue. Neither was the heat, really," he said.

"Look, man, things happen. It's been funny all the things I've been getting tagged with since then."

Asked how his recovery had been after the match, he said: "Horrible. It's been terrible."

Tiafoe, the 17th seed, will next meet Hungary's Fabian Marozsan, who also battled through a five-setter.