Wimbledon champ Vondrousova bounced in first round at Australian Open

Marketa Vondrousova plays a backhand return to Dayana Yastremska during their first round match at the Australian Open tennis championships at Melbourne Park, Melbourne, Australia, Monday, Jan. 15, 2024. (Asanka Brendon Ratnayake/AP Photo)

MELBOURNE, Australia — Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova was dumped out of the Australian Open in the first round on Sunday, beaten 6-1, 6-2 by Dayana Yastremska.

The seventh-seeded Vondrousova missed the Adelaide tune-up event with a hip injury and struggled on serve throughout, hitting seven double faults as she was dominated by the world’s No. 93-ranked player.

Yastremska, who had lost in the first round in her past seven Grand Slam appearances, had 26 winners. 

In other early play, 19th-seeded Elina Svitolina advanced to the second round, beating Taylah Preston, a wild-card entry from Australia, 6-2, 6-2.

Coco Gauff and Naomi Osaka begin their campaigns later in the day.

Gauff, who won her first Grand Slam title at the U.S. Open last September, faced Anna Karolina Schmiedlova of Slovakia.

Four-time major winner Osaka makes her much-anticipated comeback to Grand Slam tennis after the birth of her daughter. The Japanese player takes on Caroline Garcia of France in the first round in the final match on Center Court.

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