Zheng Upsets Korda at Australian Open, 20 Americans in Action Monday; Shick Sweeps Titles at M25 in Winston-Salem; Andreescu Ends Wolff's Winning Streak in Bradenton; Virginia Men Start Season with Two Top Five Victories

Columbia senior Michael Zheng had never faced an ATP Top 100 player, had never competed in an ATP-level main draw match and had, obviously, never played a five-set match.

The two-time NCAA singles champion crossed all three of those items off his bucket list Sunday in Melbourne, defeating ATP No. 51 Sebastian Korda 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(0), 6-3 in the first round of the Australian Open.

Zheng, who saved a match point in the final round of qualifying Thursday, held in a five-deuce game to take a two-set lead, with his defense and his passing shots requiring Korda elevate his level. Korda did so, and when he blanked Zheng in the fourth set tiebreaker, all the momentum appeared to be on his side.

But it was Zheng who got the first break of the fifth set for a 3-2 lead, and he showed no sign of nerves, even when forced to save a break point in each of his next two service games. The thre-hour and 43-minute match ended anticlimactically, with Korda double faulting twice after falling behind 15-30, saving Zheng from the pressure of needing to serve it out.

Zheng will face No. 32 Corentin Moutet of France in the second round, after the 26-year-old left-hander defeated Tristan Schoolkate of Australia 6-4, 7-6(1), 6-3.

Prior to his match with Korda, Zheng spoke with the ATP's Andrew Eichenholz about the challenges of playing pro tennis while pursuing an Ivy League degree, with Zheng's coach at Columbia, Howie Endelman also providing his insights on Zheng's balancing the two.

Only 11 Americans were on Sunday's schedule, but there are 20 competing on Monday (tonight in the United States).

Sunday's first round Australian Open results of Americans:

Yannick Hanfmann(GER) d. Zachary Svajda[Q] 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(3)

Michael Zheng[Q] d. Sebastian Korda 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-7(0), 6-3

Alexander Bublik[10] d. Jenson Brooksby 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

Frances Tiafoe[19] d. Jason Kubler[Q](AUS) 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-2

Francisco Comesana(ARG) d. Patrick Kypson[WC] 6-2, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3

Emilio Nava d. Kyrian Jacquet[WC](FRA) 6-2, 7-5, 6-7(5), 4-6, 7-6(6)

Caty McNally d. Himeno Sakatsume[Q](JPN) 6-3, 6-1

Olga Danilovic d. Venus Williams[WC] 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4

Hailey Baptiste d. Taylor Townsend[LL] 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-3

Monday's first round Australian Open matches featuring Americans:

Coco Gauff[3] v Kamilla Rakhimova(UZB)

Amanda Anisimova[4] v Simona Waltert(SUI)

Jessica Pegula[6] v Anastasia Zakharova(RUS)

Emma Navarro[15] v Magda Linette(POL)

Sofia Kenin[27] v Peyton Stearns

Ann Li v Camila Osorio(COL)

Alycia Parks v Alexandra Eala(PHI)

Elli Mandlik[WC] v Anna Bondar(HUN)

McCartney Kessler v Emiliana Arango(COL)

Iva Jovic[29] v Katie Volynets

Mackenzie McDonald[LL] v Alex de Minaur[6]

Learner Tien[25] v Marcos Giron

Martin Damm v Valentin Vacherot[30](MON)

Brandon Nakashima[27] v Botic van de Zandschulop(NED)

Tommy Paul[19] v Aleks Kovacevic

Reilly Opelka v Nicolai Budkov Kjaer[Q](NOR)

Top seed Bianca Andreescu and unseeded Braden Shick won the singles titles today on the USTA Pro Circuit. Andreescu, who had not won a title at any level since claiming the US Open women's championship in 2019, defeated No. 5 seed Vivian Wolff(Georgia, UCLA) 6-2, 7-5 in the final of the W35 in Bradenton Florida. Wolff won the last USTA Pro Circuit event of 2025 in Delray Beach last month, but Andreescu snapped her winning streak at nine matches.

Shick captured three out of the four titles available these past two weeks at M25s in Winston-Salem, adding a singles title to the two doubles titles won with Daniel Milavsky(Harvard). Shick, a doubles All-American at NC State in 2025, his senior year, defeated unseeded Quinn Vandecasteele(Oregon) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 to win his third ITF men's World Tennis Tour singles title and his first at the M25 level.

The University of Virginia suffered a tough, although unsurprising, blow and the end of 2025 when ITA Rookie of the Year Rafael Jodar of Spain decided not to return to the Cavaliers for his sophomore year.

The blow was softened a bit by the signing of former ITF Junior No. 1 Andres Santamarta Roig, also from Spain, who joined the team this month, but how he would fit in and how the returning players would adjust to moving higher in the lineup were major questions for college tennis fans.

Often needing several months to come together before contending for NCAA team titles in May, Virginia fans know better than to count them out regardless of their performance on their road trip to Texas this weekend. But those fans have to be eyeing another deep run at the NCAAs after No. 5 Virginia's dominant 6-1 win over No. 3 TCU in Fort Worth Thursday and today's 4-1 victory over No. 2 Texas in Austin. 

The only point Virginia lost against the Horned Frogs was in doubles; in today's match, Texas got a win from newcomer Abel Forger over Santamarta at line 2. Even without Keegan Rice, who did not play today after winning at No. 2 against TCU, Virginia avoided any drama, getting singles wins from Dylan Dietrich at line 1, Jangjun Kim at line 3 and Mans Dahlberg at line 4.

Fellow ACC rival Wake Forest, No. 1 in the first coaches poll, went on the road to Tennessee and picked up a 4-1 win today in Knoxville.

The ITA Kickoff Weekend is coming up January 23-26, with the ITA's Fan's Guide to the event available here.