MELBOURNE – Naomi Osaka began her Australian Open title defense in emphatic fashion, breaking the net with a serve as she dismantled unseeded Czech Marie Bouzkova on Monday. The two-time Grand Slam champion, one of the prime threats to Williams's bid to win a record-equaling 24th Major, plays China's Zheng Saisai in round two. "It's tough to play someone you've never played before in the first round of a Grand Slam. The first Grand Slam of the year went ahead as scheduled on Monday after air pollution eased in Melbourne. Last week's build-up to the Australian Open was plagued by choking haze from widespread bushfires, forcing organizers to temporarily delay qualifying matches.

Source: Philippine Star January 20, 2020 01:41 UTC