- Updates from a star-studded day of tennis at Melbourne Park
- Ash Barty can buck trend of home pressure
- Any thoughts? Email or tweet @JPHowcroft
12.24am GMT
First set: Osaka 1-2 Bouzkova* (*denotes server): Osaka wins the first point for a receiver to earn 15-15 after working Bouzkova around the court with some fierce backhands from the baseline. Both players are reasonably conservative in these early exchanges, eschewing the attempted big winners in favour of establishing a rhythm. Osaka looks the more confident during rally situations but slips to 40-15 with a couple of unforced errors but rips a massive forehand return winner to to get back to 40-30. Not that it matters as the following return limps tamely into the net.
12.20am GMT
First set: Osaka* 1-1 Bouzkova (*denotes server): And an even easier hold to to love for Osaka, the defending champion’s serve in fine order early on.
12.17am GMT
First set: Osaka 0-1 Bouzkova* (*denotes server): Easy hold to love for the Czech thanks to Osaka missing her mark on a number of occasions testing out her range.
12.14am GMT
The RLA roof is half-open (or half-closed) in anticipation of the weather to come. It’s cool and overcast. The arena is maybe half full. Naomi Osaka all in white, Marie Bouzkova in a jazzy pink number.
This is the first time these two have met in competition. Osaka, 22, the defending champion, seeded three (ranked four now on the WTA rankings) against Bouzkova, 21, ranked 59 in the world.
12.05am GMT
Ok, the action will be underway shortly. Naomi Osaka is just going through some warm-ups in the bowels of Rod Laver Arena, ready to make the walk of champions and out into the spectacular stadium.
12.04am GMT
John Fewings has emailed in, urging players to use their profile to highlight the environmental damage facing Australia as a consequence of the climate emergency. “The players should be wearing smoke masks and taking advantage of the opportunity to remind Australia’s politicians that they have a duty to finally get their act together!”
It’s a tall order. Modern tennis players have become masters at avoiding controversy and operating as CEOs of their own global brands.
Related: Roger Federer opts for diplomacy as pollution questions fill the air
Related: Roger Federer responds to climate crisis criticism from Greta Thunberg
11.52pm GMT
This promises to be the final sighting of Caroline Wozniacki on court at the Australian Open. The 2018 champion is ready for the next chapter in her life.
Related: ‘It’ll be emotional’: Caroline Wozniacki braced for farewell at Australian Open
11.50pm GMT
Host broadcaster Channel 9 is not my spiritual home for sports coverage so this could be a long fortnight. Exhibit A: captioning Grigor Dimitrov as Stan Wawrinka during a filler segment recorded on a red carpet before cutting to adverts.
11.41pm GMT
Russell Jackson is on Kyrgios-watch all tournament, and he has set the scene superbly with this tremendous column.
There has always been blame on both sides of the Kyrgios “debate”, such as it is. The Nick knockers veer between sour-faced fogeyism and borderline white supremacy, while the boosters ignore Kyrgios’s worst behaviour and pretend that a basketball jersey is a personality. In the middle somewhere lies an infuriating, funny, petulant, brilliant, inconsistent, even loveable young man, and one less easy to categorise.
Related: Nick Kyrgios: how tennis’s loudest talent became a hero to the quiet Australians | Russell Jackson
11.40pm GMT
11.35pm GMT
Novak Djokovic is the king of Melbourne Park.
Related: Djokovic’s Melbourne haven may be hazardous for Nadal and Federer | Kevin Mitchell
11.33pm GMT
Ash Barty is not in action until later tonight, but as Simon Cambers writes, she is carrying the hopes of the home country on her shoulders.
Related: Ash Barty can buck trend of home pressure at Australian Open
11.28pm GMT
Plenty of preview content to dive into before the action gets underway.
And what with her being up first on RLA, perhaps best to kick-off with a lovely feature on the charming and idiosyncratic Naomi Osaka from Tumaini Carayol.
When Osaka is not exterminating effortless 100mph forehands, it can be easy to forget how ambitious and driven she is. Away from the courts, Osaka often seems younger than her age. She is funny and eternally honest. She pauses to think before each answer, she tosses in cultural references that invariably lead to errors from the stenographers who aren’t quite knowledgeable in K-pop and memes.
Related: Naomi Osaka has case for Australian Open defence after ‘worst’ season
11.26pm GMT
Billie Jean King is the best.
Good luck to all the players competing in the @AustralianOpen! The memories I have from playing there are among the most special of my career. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/3Lb8h5tuUm
11.24pm GMT
After a lead-in focussing on the dangerous air quality and the impact that may have on scheduling, you guessed it, the rain has arrived. Melbourne was soaked on Sunday and is braced for more precipitation today. Thundery showers, accompanied by strong southerly winds, are forecast throughout the day, meaning we might not see much action outside the trio of courts with roofs.
The rest of the week is classic Melbourne. Tuesday should be cool and dry. Wednesday will be hot and steamy with thunderstorms expected in the late afternoon-evening as fierce northerly winds blow through. That rain could interrupt play during the early part of Thursday too, which will see temperatures back on the mild side.
Severe Weather Warning remains current for much of central and eastern Victoria. Rain increasing in #Melbourne throughout the morning; heaviest during the afternoon and evening. https://t.co/HLs2UYFQyQ #melbweather pic.twitter.com/46KqbpKK9a
11.18pm GMT
Here’s a quick rundown of some other names in action that might catch your eye:
Court 1573 (the old show court two): If you’re looking for an upset, this could be the court for you. Borna Coric (25) has a tough test against Sam Querrey before Fabio Fognini (12) takes on the new serving king Reilly Opelka. Madison Keys (10) then faces former top-tenner Daria Kasatkina with the action rounded off by Jo Konta (12) against the dangerous Ons Jabeur.
11.13pm GMT
Rod Laver Arena: What a line-up for the opening morning of the grand slam season – defending champion Naomi Osaka followed by living legends Serena Williams and Roger Federer. All will expect to progress without alarm based on current form.
#AusOpen Order of Play – Monday January 20 –
Rod Laver Arena#AO2020 pic.twitter.com/tSmz8R3WhY
#AusOpen Order of Play – Monday January 20 –
Margaret Court Arena#AO2020 pic.twitter.com/bj7HQmdfDE
11.11pm GMT
The #AusOpen is officially open! Thanks to former AO champs Marat Safin (2005) and @LDavenport76 (2000) pic.twitter.com/b1I9x790qp
10.59pm GMT
Hello everybody and welcome to live rolling coverage of the opening day’s play from the Australian Open. We’ll be with you here all the way until around 7pm Melbourne time, when a separate evening liveblog will kick-off for all the action under lights.
Pre-season passes in the blink of an eye on the packed tennis calendar and once again the sport’s superstars are gearing up for grand slam action. It’s been an odd build-up to this year’s event with the relaunched ATP Cup forcing a rejig to preparation for the men, and Melbourne’s dreadful air quality overshadowing AO qualifiers.
