Melbourne, Australia, 18 January 2022 | Leigh Rogers

Three Australian players have already progressed to the second round at Australian Open 2022 – and a further 12 are hoping to join them today.

A jam-packed day two schedule features 12 Aussies competing in men’s and women’s singles first-round matches at Melbourne Park.

Among them is Sam Stosur, the former world No.4 and US Open 2011 champion, who is contesting the final singles tournament of her storied career.

“This tournament, probably more so than ever, is about going out there and enjoying it,” said Stosur, who is making her 20th AO main draw appearance.

“Absolutely you want to go out there and do your best, come away with the win if possible. But first and foremost, I want to go out there, enjoy myself, play well, be free.

“It’s about playing and enjoying that moment and soaking it all up.”

Aussies in action:

[WC] Daria Saville (AUS) v Rebecca Peterson (SWE)
Women’s singles, first round, Margaret Court Arena, day session, first match (from 11am AEDT)
Contesting her first Grand Slam as a married woman, 27-year-old Saville (nee Gavrilova) is equally excited to be back on tour after missing 10 months last season with a foot injury. Currently ranked No.426, the former world No.20 has twice reached the fourth round at Melbourne Park (in 2016 and 2017). She faces world No.82 Peterson, a 26-year-old Swede with a 1-2 win-loss career record in Australian Open first-round matches.
Head-to-head record: Peterson leads 1-0
Last meeting: Peterson won 6-3 4-6 6-3 (Bendigo, 2014)

[WC] Sam Stosur (AUS) v [WC] Robin Anderson (USA)
Women’s singles, first round, Kia Arena, day session, first match (from 11am AEDT)
Emotions will be high for Stosur, who is contesting a Grand Slam singles tournament for the 69^th and final time in her Grand Slam-winning career. The 37-year-old is also making her 20^th AO appearance, tying Lleyton Hewitt for the most of any Australian player. The US Open 2011 champion, who plans to focus on doubles after this tournament, faces a 28-year-old American ranked No.169 and making her Grand Slam main draw debut.
Head-to-head record: First meeting

[WC] Chris O’Connell (AUS) v Hugo Gaston (FRA)
Men’s singles, first round, Court 8, first match (from 11am AEDT)
Perseverance continues to pay off for world No.175 O’Connell, with the 27-year-old making his fourth AO main draw appearance. He earned a wildcard after qualifying at Wimbledon and reaching a first ATP quarterfinal last year. The Aussie wildcard faces 21-year-old Gaston, a left-hander ranked No.67 who claimed the AO 2018 boys’ doubles title and aiming to score a first AO main draw win.
Head-to-head record: First meeting

[WC] Maddison Inglis (AUS) v [23] Leylah Fernandez (CAN)
Women’s singles, first round, 1573 Arena, second match
World No.133 Inglis is contesting her fifth Grand Slam main draw – and for the fifth time, has drawn a seeded opponent in the opening round. The 24-year-old from Perth faces US Open 2021 finalist Fernandez, a 19-year-old Canadian ranked No.24. Fernandez advanced to the AO 2019 girls’ singles final, but like Inglis, is aiming to record a first main draw win at Melbourne Park. Fernandez has won both of their previous encounters.
Head-to-head record: Fernandez leads 2-0
Last meeting: Fernandez won 6-3 6-4 (Granby, 2019)

> VIEW: Full Australian Open 2022 women’s singles draw

Jordan Thompson (AUS) v Steve Johnson (USA)
Men’s singles, first round, Court 3, second match
World No.73 Thompson and world No.104 Johnson, who both sport old-school moustaches, are facing-off for the first time. The 27-year-old Thompson is making his ninth consecutive Australian Open main draw appearance and hoping to improve a 3-5 win-loss record in first-round matches. Johnson is a 32-year-old American, who has been ranked as high as world No.21 and is seeking a first AO win since 2017.
Head-to-head record: First meeting

[WC] Priscilla Hon (AUS) v [31] Marketa Vondrousova (CZE)
Women’s singles, first round, Court 5, second match
Hon, a 23-year-old from Queensland, was rewarded with a wildcard after scoring a first top-20 win against two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova at Adelaide earlier this month. The world No.221’s first-round opponent is also highly credentialed. The 22-year-old Vondrousova was a Roland Garros finalist in 2019, has been ranked as high as world No.14 and claimed an Olympic silver medal in Tokyo last year.
Head-to-head record: Vondrousova leads 2-0
Last meeting: Vondrousova won 7-5 6-0 (Clare, 2017)

> READ: Confidence the key for Priscilla Hon

Astra Sharma (AUS) v Clara Tauson (DEN)
Women’s singles, first round, Court 3, third match
Sharma continues to demonstrate hard work reaps rewards, claiming a maiden WTA singles title and recording a first year-end top-100 finish in 2021. The athletic 26-year-old from Perth is making her fourth AO main draw appearance and faces a rising star in the opening round. The 19-year-old Tauson was the AO 2019 girls’ singles champion and is now set to make her main draw debut ranked at a career-high world No.39.
Head-to-head record: Tauson leads 1-0
Last meeting: Tauson won 6-2 6-2

Alexei Popyrin (AUS) v Arthur Rinderknech (FRA)
Men’s singles, first round, Court 3, fourth match
The 22-year-old Popyrin begins his fifth Australian Open campaign at a career-high ranking of world No.59. The towering Aussie is looking to reach the second round for a fourth year in a row. Standing in his way is a 26-year-old Frenchman also in career-best form. World No.48 Rinderknech, who is making his AO main draw debut, broke into the world’s top 50 after reaching the Adelaide International final last week.
Head-to-head record: First meeting

> VIEW: Full Australian Open 2022 men’s singles draw

[WC] Alex Bolt (AUS) v Alejandro Davidovich Fokina (ESP)
Men’s singles, first round, Court 6, fourth match
It is no secret that 29-year-old Bolt produces some of his best tennis at Melbourne Park, scoring some impressive scalps to advance to the Australian Open second round in each of the past three years. To progress to that stage again in 2022, the world No.152 will need to beat Roland Garros 2021 quarterfinalist Davidovich Fokina. The 22-year-old Spaniard is ranked No.50 and making his second AO main draw appearance.
Head-to-head record: First meeting

[WC] Storm Sanders (AUS) v [2] Aryna Sabalenka (BLR)
Women’s singles, first round, Rod Laver Arena, night session, first match (from 7pm AEDT)
Sanders, a wildcard in career-best form, is making her first AO main draw appearance since 2016. The 27-year-old has been handed a tough draw, pitted against world No.2 Sabalenka. The big-hitting 23-year-old Belarusian won a tour-leading 15 Grand Slam matches last year, however her confidence appears shaky after opening 2022 with two disappointing losses. World No.128 Sanders is aiming to record her first top-10 win.
Head-to-head record: Sabalenka leads 1-0
Last meeting: Sabalenka won 6-3 4-6 6-2 (Perth, 2016)

[32] Alex de Minaur (AUS) v Lorenzo Musetti (ITA)
Men’s singles, first round, Margaret Court Arena, night session, first match (from 7pm AEDT)
De Minaur is Australia’s top-ranked man at world No.42 and begins his AO 2022 campaign against a highly-rated 19-year-old Italian. World No.60 Musetti, who reached the fourth round at Roland Garros last year, won the AO 2019 boys’ singles title and is making his main draw debut. “He’s a quality young guy, a lot of weapons. It’s going to be a tough match,” said 22-year-old De Minaur.
Head-to-head record: First meeting

> READ: De Minaur ready for AO 2022 challenge

Nick Kyrgios (AUS) v [Q] Liam Broady (GBR)
Men’s singles, first round, John Cain Arena, fourth match (not before 7pm AEDT)
After testing positive to COVID last week, Kyrgios has had a disrupted preparation ahead of his ninth AO campaign. Yet the 26-year-old knows how to perform at Melbourne Park, reaching the third round or better on five occasions. The world No.115 has never lost to a qualifier at a Grand Slam tournament either. Can he continue that streak against 27-year-old Broady? The left-handed world No.128 is making his AO main draw debut.
Head-to-head record: First meeting

> VIEW: Full Australian Open 2022 day two schedule

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