Stefanos Tsitsipas was given a brief scare by lucky loser Zizou Bergs on Monday before roaring back to win his first-round match at the Australian Open 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3.
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The Greek seventh seed, last year's runner-up in Melbourne, had been due to face 2021 Wimbledon finalist Matteo Berrettini but the Italian withdrew with an injury on the eve of the match.
If Tsitsipas had been expecting an easy ride against the 129th-ranked Belgian he was sorely mistaken, suffering the frustration of a costly service break in the 11th game to lose the opening set.
But the 25-year-old then found another gear and dropped just five more games in the rest of the match on a sun-baked Rod Laver Arena.
"Things were not as expected," he said. "I was expecting Matteo. Things like these are quite dangerous when you're preparing for many days in a row for a specific type of opponent."
But he said he was delighted with the level he reached and felt he was pushing Bergs "to the limit" in the final three sets.
"I'm glad things turned around," Tsitsipas added. "I'm glad I showed the fight and spirit that I usually show on court so it feels great."
Tsitsipas broke at his first opportunity in the second set to take a 2-0 lead, fending off three break points in total as Bergs battled hard in a set lasting 49 minutes.
He continued his momentum into the third set, breaking three times to establish a vice-like grip on the match.
The Greek star, a two-time Grand Slam finalist, broke again in the fourth game of the fourth set, giving his opponent few chances during a dominant performance.
His serene progress was briefly checked but he served out for the match at the second time of asking, completing the job in a shade under three hours.
VETERAN WAWRINKA HAS NO PLANS TO RETIRE AFTER DEFEAT
Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka said he has no plans to call it quits after losing in the first round on Monday and hopes to be back next year aged 39.
The Swiss star, who beat Rafael Nadal to win the opening Grand Slam of the year a decade ago, looked on course for an upset of fellow veteran Adrian Mannarino.
But he lost 11 of the last 12 games to crash out to the French 20th seed 6-4, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-0.
"I was playing well, tough conditions against a tough player," said the 38-year-old, now ranked 56 and at his 18th Australian Open.
"Couldn't really push myself more. I didn't do the work I wanted in the off-season because I got injured in the last tournament. So it was a race a bit to come back here.
"But I'm quite happy with the 10 days I had here (in Australia)."
Wawrinka has been on tour since 2002, winning 16 titles, including the Australian Open (2014), French Open (2015), and US Open (2016).
His Grand Slam-winning days might be over, but he has no plans to retire.
"Hopefully not. I will see how the year goes. It's just the beginning of the year," he said of hanging up his racquet.
"In general, I'm quite positive with where I am right now.
"Even after the loss, I think there is some good opportunity for me to keep pushing, keep playing and get some good results, and hopefully I can come back next year."
WORLDLY-WISE TENNIS STAR SHELTON RELISHING NEW EXPERIENCES
Ben Shelton admitted on Monday the past year had been a whirlwind, with one of tennis's hottest young prospects learning a lot about himself and the world.
This time last year, the 21-year-old was on his first trip ever outside the United States, playing at the Australian Open as an unknown.
A fairytale run to the quarterfinals put him firmly on the radar and he has since soared up the rankings to 16, winning his first ATP Tour title in Tokyo in October.
Shelton eased into the second round at Melbourne Park by beating Spanish veteran Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 and reflected on his life-changing 12 months.
"It's been cool for me to see different places, different cultures," he said.
"It's interesting because I feel a lot more comfortable now being in certain places outside of the US, whereas I felt like early last year I was, OK, I was comfortable in the US. When I was outside, it was a little uncomfortable.
"But now I feel like I'm pretty used to things."
"Australia feels comfortable, easy, kind of at home," he added. "I'm happy that I got to go to so many different places last year."
He pinpointed Switzerland as a favourite destination, but added: "The Australian Open has been pretty special for me and a really cool place, one of my favourite places to play."
Shelton, whose father Bryan reached 55 in the world, acknowledged he was still learning on the tennis court, and took a lot from his clash with the wily Bautista Agut.
"Yeah, he's a smart player. Definitely a vet, not only in the way he plays, but what he does in between points, the way he manages himself," he said.
"He doesn't give you much or show much out there. That was pretty interesting to see."
Next up for the American is Australian Chris O'Connell, with Shelton preparing for a raucous atmosphere against a local hero.
"Chris is a great guy, first off. I'm really looking forward to the match-up. Anytime that you play an Aussie here in Melbourne, you know you're in for a rowdy match-up," he said.
"I know a lot of the crowd is not going to be on my side for this next match, but I'm used to that."
MURRAY CRASHES OUT IN FIRST ROUND
Five-time finalist Andy Murray slumped out of the Australian Open at the first hurdle Monday, with the British veteran outplayed by Argentine Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
The 36-year-old, who has suggested he may be playing his final season, put up stiff resistance in a 61-minute first set, but the 30th seed slowly ground him down to win 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.
"Very tough for me playing with a legend like Andy," said Etcheverry, 12 years younger than his opponent.
"He is one of my idols, but today I played incredible. I just tried to play my game and focus on my points."
Murray's defeat deprived fans of a potential third-round clash with defending champion Novak Djokovic.
To have a chance of facing the top seed, Etcheverry, who reached the French Open quarterfinals last year, must first get past another veteran, Frenchman Gael Monfils.
Murray had a frustrating end to 2023, winning just one match in his last four tournaments, and said in Brisbane this month he will bring down the curtain on his career if the next 12 months follow the same pattern.
The British player, who won Wimbledon in 2013 and 2016 and also took the US Open title in 2012, is part of a golden generation coming towards the end of trophy-laden careers.
Roger Federer retired in 2022 and Rafael Nadal had an injury-blighted 2023 and is absent from the Australian Open with a muscle tear.
At 36, Djokovic is still hoping to add to his record haul of 24 Grand Slam titles before hanging up his racquet.