(January 16, 2023) Seeded Americans Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff and Danielle Collins reached the second round on Day 1 at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Monday.

Seventh seeded Coco Gauff led off the day session in Rod Laver Arena with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Katerina Siniakova. She rebounded from 4-2 down in the second set.

“I was not expecting to open the tournament on Rod Laver,” the 18-year-old Gauff said. “I’m super-honored that the tournament chose me and Katerina. I’m really pleased with myself. Katerina’s a fighter, I knew she was going to fight for every point. I just stayed strong mentally.”

Gauff will now play 2021 U.S. Open champion Emma Raducanu after the British player beat Tamara Korpatsch of Germany 6-3, 6-2.

“I feel like being from the UK (Raducanu), being like the first British person to do something in a long time, probably is a lot more pressure than what I’m used to being an American.

“You know, Serena is retired now, but she was always the American that people looked to.”

Third seeded Pegula dismissed Jaqueline Cristian of Romania 6-0, 6-1.

Pegula needed just 59 minutes to demolish the 161st-ranked Cristian.

Collins, the runner-up last year to Ash Barty and seeded 13th, overcame a left knee injury and battled to defeat Anna Kalinskaya 7-5, 5-7, 6-4.

“Today is just one of those days everything was working,”

“Always feels good when you win a match like that. I think when those days come you just kind of take it and don’t complain and don’t critique. You kind of just move on to the next one.”

Another North American reached the second round – Bianca Andreescu of Canada, a former U. S. Open champion who upset 28th seed Marta Kostyuk 6-3, 6-4.

More to follow,,,