Results, points as Aryna Sabalenka wins the opener

Rain was the big winner as the Australian Open tennis championships began in Melbourne on Sunday.

Play on the outdoor courts ended after less than an hour in the morning and only resumed in the early evening, more than six hours later, meaning eight of the 32 planned individual games had to be postponed.

However, play continued on the three indoor courts at Rod Laver Arena, where Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus began her quest for a third straight Australian Open title with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Sloane Stephens.

When the weather cleared and the roof was open, the women’s No. 1 defeated the American and 2017 US Open champion in just over an hour.

“It’s probably not that I played my best match, but I was happy to finish it in straight sets,” said the 26-year-old Sabalenka. “I love playing here, it feels like home.”

Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, who lost to Sabalenka in the final last year, reached the second round indoors, while men’s No. 6 seed Casper Ruud and former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori withstood the wet weather to claim victories in five secured sentences.

Men’s second seed Alexander Zverev made a dominant start to his race for a first Grand Slam title, capping the evening with a 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over 2019 semi-finalist Lucas Pouille .

Contribution: Reuters

(This story has been updated to add a gallery.)

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Results, points as Aryna Sabalenka wins the opener

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