Sinner, Keys through as Osaka makes bold Melbourne statement

Jannik Sinner and Madison Keys made winning starts to their Australian Open title defences yesterday but former champion Naomi Osaka made the biggest splash on day three of the tournament with a dazzling entrance before her match.

Sinner, who is aiming for a third straight title at Melbourne Park, spent only 68 minutes on court in his first outing of the 2026 season before Hugo Gaston retired because of injury while losing 6-2 6-1.

The world number two consoled the weeping Frenchman and wished him well in his recovery before declaring himself delighted with the results of his off-season training.

Sinner showed some signs of rust at the start and was forced to save three break points in his opening service game before finding his imperious touch.

American Keys made an even shakier start to her maiden Grand Slam title defence before rallying for a 7-6(6) 6-1 victory over Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova.

A double break down thanks to some untimely double faults, Keys trailed 4-0 before forcing a tiebreak in which the unorthodox Oliynykova caused chaos with her deep, looping shots.

Oliynykova brought up two set points but Keys erased the deficit with some trademark big-hitting to eventually snatch a tense tiebreak before racing through the second stanza.

Oliynykova, who was playing in her first major, wore temporary face tattoos, blue flowers that matched her outfit and the court, but she was put into the shade in the fashion stakes by Osaka.

In one of the boldest fashion statements ever seen on a tennis court, Osaka entered Rod Laver Arena carrying a white parasol with a voluminous trailing veil and wore a wide-brimmed hat above a long turquoise tunic with crimped white trousers.

The 2019 and 2021 Melbourne Park champion’s tennis was at times less impressive than her self-designed outfit but Osaka finished strongly to beat Croatian Antonia Ruzic 6-3 3-6 6-4 and take her place in the second round.

“It’s modelled after a jellyfish,” she said of her get-up. “I’m just so grateful that I get to be able to do the things that I love. It’s really beautiful.”

Leylah Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open runner-up, was not so fortunate and exited with a 6-2 7-6(1) loss to Janice Tjen, who became the first Indonesian to win a match at the Australian Open in 28 years.-Reuters

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