Rain was the big winner as the Australian Open tennis championships got underway Sunday in Melbourne.
Play on the outdoor courts ended after less than an hour in the morning and did not resume until the early evening, more than six hours later, forcing eight of the 32 scheduled singles matches to be postponed.
Matches continued, however, on the three indoor courts at Rod Laver Arena, where Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus began her bid for a third consecutive Australian Open title with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Sloane Stephens.
With the weather clearing and the roof open, the women’s No. 1 seed dispatched the American and 2017 U.S. Open champion in little more than an hour.
‘It’s not like I played my best match, probably, but I was glad to close it out in straight sets,’ the 26-year-old Sabalenka said. ‘I love playing here, it feels like home.’
Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who lost to Sabalenka in last year’s final, reached the second round indoors, while men’s sixth seed Casper Ruud and former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori dodged the wet weather to secure five-set victories.
Men’s second seed Alexander Zverev made a dominant start to his bid for a first Grand Slam title as he closed out the evening with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over 2019 semifinalist Lucas Pouille.