Teens Gauff, McNally and Li Advance at Australian Open; Seven American Juniors Begin Competition at Ecuador Grade 1

The first day of the Australian Open was a wet one, which was accepted with more equanimity than usual at a slam given the bushfire crisis currently overwhelming the country. The three roofed stadiums kept at least some of the matches on schedule, although three US women and two US men had their matches postponed until Tuesday. Alison Riske, Reilly Opelka and Tennys Sandgren were on court when the rain arrived and their matches were carried over until Tuesday as well.

Qualifier Ann Li was at 10-10 in a second set tiebreaker with Australian wild card Lizette Cabrera when a shower arrived, having already seen five match points come and go. But the delay was brief, around five minutes, and the 19-year-old from Pennsylvania won the next two points to earn her first slam (and first tour-level) victory 7-6(4), 7-6(10). She will play No. 14 seed Sofia Kenin in an all-US second round match.

Eighteen-year-old qualifier Caty McNally took out Australian veteran Samantha Stosur 6-1, 6-4, and her doubles partner, 15-year-old Coco Gauff, repeated her Wimbledon first round win over Venus Williams 7-6(5), 6-3.  For more on that match, see this article from the Australian Open website.

Monday’s first round singles results of Americans:

Women: (5-4)
Serena Williams[8] d. Anastasia Potapova(RUS) 6-0, 6-3
Coco Gauff d. Venus Williams 7-6(5), 6-3
Shuai Zhang(CHN) d. Sloane Stephens[24] 2-6, 7-5, 6-2
Caroline Wozniacki(DEN) d. Kristie Ahn 6-1, 6-3
Caty McNally[Q] d. Samantha Stosur(AUS) 6-1, 6-4
Madison Keys[10] v Daria Kasatkina(RUS) (postponed)
Sofia Kenin[14] d. Martina Trevisan[Q](ITA) 6-2, 6-4
Ann Li[Q] d. Lizette Cabrera[WC](AUS) 7-6(4), 7-6(10)
Petra Martic[13](CRO)d. Christina McHale 6-3, 6-0
Alison Riske[18] v Yafan Wang(CHN) (suspended)
Madison Brengle v Caroline Garcia(FRA) (postponed)
Bernarda Pera v Elena Rybakina[29](KAZ) (postponed)

Men: (1-3)
Roger Federer[3](SUI) d. Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Sam Querrey d. Borna Coric[25](CRO) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Reilly Opelka v Fabio Fognini[12](ITA) (suspended)
Philipp Kohlschreiber(GER) d. Marcos Giron 7-5, 6-1, 6-2
Tommy Paul v Leonardo Mayer(ARG) (postponed)
Michael Mmoh[WC] v Pablo Andujar(ESP)(postponed)
Dan Evans[30](GBR) d. Mackenzie McDonald 3-6, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3
Tennys Sandgren v Marco Trungelliti[Q](ITA) (suspended)

Tuesday’s first round singles matches featuring Americans:

Women:
Madison Keys[10] v Daria Kasatkina(RUS) (postponed from Monday)
Madison Brengle v Caroline Garcia(FRA) (postponed from Monday)
Bernarda Pera v Elena Rybakina[29](KAZ) (postponed from Monday)
Alison Riske[18] leads Yafan Wang(CHN) 7-6(5)
Jennifer Brady v Simona Halep[4](ROU)
Shelby Rogers[Q] v Garbine Muguruza(ESP)
Lauren Davis v Leylah Fernandez[Q](CAN)
Taylor Townsend v Jessica Pegula
Cici Bellis v Tatjana Maria(GER)
Amanda Anisimova[21] v Zarina Diyas(KAZ)
Coco Vandeweghe[WC] v Laura Siegemund(GER)
Danielle Collins[26] v Vitalia Diatchenko(RUS)

Men:
Tommy Paul v Leonardo Mayer(ARG) (postponed from Monday)
Michael Mmoh[WC] v Pablo Andujar(ESP)(postponed from Monday)
Tennys Sandgren leads Marco Trungelliti[Q](ITA) 1-0
Reilly Opelka leads Fabio Fognini[12](ITA) 6-3, 7-6(3), 1-0
Frances Tiafoe v Daniil Medvedev[4](RUS)
Christopher Eubanks[Q] v Peter Gojowczyk[Q]
John Isner[19] v Thiago Monteiro(BRA)
Taylor Fritz[29] v Tallon Griekspoor(NED)

Nothing new to report at the Grade 1 in Traralgon, which is falling way behind schedule, with no matches completed Monday, I assume due to rain. Just two days remain to finish the round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals in both singles and doubles.

After two Grade 1s already this year, in Costa Rica and Colombia, most of the American juniors have returned home until the Grade 1 and Grade A tournaments next month in Brazil, but this week's Grade 1 in Cuenca Ecuador does feature seven Americans.

Benjamin Kittay[7], Max McKennon[13] Billy Suarez and qualifiers Adam Duan and Ryan Colby are the five US boys in the draw and Alexis Harmon[9] and Rebecca Lynn[14] are the two US girls in the main draw. The top seed in the boys draw is Natan Rodrigues of Brazil, who won the Costa Rica Grade 1. In the girls draw, the top seed is Mell Reasco Gonzalez of Ecuador, who is making her 2020 debut.