MELBOURNE - World number one Rafael Nadal had a winning return
to Rod Laver Arena with a 6-2, 6-3, 6-0 win over Hugo Dellien, while
second seed Pliskova also stayed perfect against Kristina Mladenovic
on her way to the second round of the Australian Open.
The first round on Tuesday claimed the first former Melbourne
champion, Maria Sharapova, and the highest seed so far - number
eight, Johanna Konta.
Last year's runner up Nadal showed some consistency issues
against unheralded Dellien as he kicked off his 2020 campaign, but
still comfortably took home a straight sets win in just over two
hours.
Earlier on, world number two Pliskova also took care of business
taking home a 6-1, 7-5 victory over France's Mladenovic at a sunny,
but chilly, Rod Laver Arena.
Following Pliskova at Rod Laver Arena, Maria Sharapova lost a third
straight slam opener with a 3-6, 4-6 defeat to 19th seed Donna Vekic,
becoming the first former Australian Open champion to exit the 2020
tournament so far.
Another former champion, 2014 title holder Stan Wawrinka, overcame
his first hurdle with a 7-5, 6-7 (7-4), 6-4, 6-4 win over Damir
Dzumhur.
At the 1573 Arena, Britain's Konta became the highest seed to crash
out in the first round so far with a 4-6, 2-6 loss to Tunisia's Ons
Jabeur.
Fifth seed Dominic Thiem, who had two first round exits at the slams
since making it to the 2019 French Open's final, made it through the
first hurdle this time around, beating France's Adrian Mannarino 6-3,
7-5, 6-2.
Swiss sixth seed Belinda Bencic meanwhile progressed to the second
round after defeating Slovakia's Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3, 7-5,
as did 10th seed Madison Keys, who overpowered Daria Kasatkina 6-3,
6-1 in under an hour.
Ninth seed Roberto Bautista Agut went past fellow Spaniard Feliciano
Lopez 6-2, 6-2, 7-5.
World number one Nadal hit four double faults to one ace and made 10
unforced errors to 12 winners in the opening set, dropping a game on
a backhand error as well as a second one in the following set.
The 19-time Grand Slam champion cleaned things up in the closing set,
hitting no double faults to three aces and five unforced errors to 18
winners.
"For me personally it's been a positive start, what you want in the
first round is just win, and if it's in straight sets better. [I'm]
happy and excited to be back here in Melbourne," the Spaniard said
after the match.
Pliskova, who is seeking a first Grand Slam singles title and last
year reached the semis in Melbourne, was in control in the opener,
where she broke the Mladenovic's serve twice.
The second seed broke Frenchwoman again mid-second set, but the world
number 41 broke right back before dropping her serve again at
5-5, opening the door for the Czech star to serve it out in one hour
and 24 minutes.
"I think it was a very tough first round ... it was a good test to
start with such a high quality match," Pliskova said in her on court
interview.
"It was very tough, mentally also in the second set, but I am happy
that I am through."