HIGHLIGHTS-Tennis-Day One at the Australian Open

Jan 18 (Reuters) - Latest news from the first day of the Australian Open on Monday (all times GMT): - - - - 1210 - TSONGA THROUGH AFTER BATTLE WITH BAGHDATIS France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, seeded ninth, beat Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-2 to seal his place in the second round. - - - - 1155 - SEPPI INTO SECOND ROUND Italy's Andreas Seppi, seeded 28th, moved into the second round after overcoming Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-3 6-7 (4) 4-6 6-7 (10). - - - - 1137 - STOSUR STUMBLES AT FIRST HURDLE Australia's Samantha Stosur, seeded 25th, bowed out in the first round after being beaten 6-4 7-6 (6) by the Czech Republic's Kristyna Pliskova. - - - - 1135 - FANS FLOCK TO MELBOURNE PARK Monday's day session saw 46,889 spectators pack into the grounds while 23,281 have turned up for the night session. - - - - 1130 - KYRGIOS ACKNOWLEDGES HOME SUPPORT "It's a massive advantage for me. I think knowing the home crowd's behind you when you're feeling physically tired or mentally drained, they give you the spark you need," says the Australian after he is roared on to victory over Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta. - - - - 1120 - TSONGA, BAGHDATIS NECK-IN-NECK France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Cyprus's Marcos Baghdatis are tied a set apiece in a close encounter at the Margaret Court Arena. - - - - 1105 - BRITAIN FEELS THE BLUES Britain's Heather Watson lost 7-6 (4) 5-7 5-7 in a gruelling encounter with Hungary's Timea Babos while in the men's singles her countryman, Kyle Edmund, lost 1-6 7-6 (4) 4-6 6-3 6-1 to Bosnia's Damir Dzumhur. - - - - 1100 - SHARAPOVA ON STAYING FOCUSED "There's always a little bit of nerves, sometimes more, sometimes less, going into any grand slam, but especially when it's your first tournament of the season. I just ... keep it simple," says the Russian, after putting her recent injury troubles behind her to come through the first round unscathed. - - - - 1030 - ANOTHER SEED BITES THE DUST German 22nd seed Andrea Petkovic was knocked out 7-5 6-4 by Russia's Elizaveta Kulichkova. - - - - - - - - - - READ MORE Djokovic admits indirect fixing approach, questions betting sponsors Fuss-free Federer roars into second round Ousted Wozniacki laments aiding Putintseva comeback World tennis has been ripe for match-fixing Chinese qualifier sends Stephens packing in Melbourne Serena dispels doubts in successful return Dominant Djokovic marches on in Melbourne Order of play for Tuesday World tennis hit by match-fixing reports, authorities back integrity unit Djokovic poised to resume global domination Serena faces tricky ascent to seventh heaven - - - - - - - - - - - 1022 - FEDERER WANTS MORE INFORMATION ON MATCH-FIXING "I would love to hear names. Then at least it's concrete stuff and you can actually debate about it. Was it the player? Was it the support team? Who was it?... It's nonsense to answer something that is pure speculation." Roger Federer comments on the reports alleging widespread match-fixing in tennis. - - - - 1010 - HOME COMFORTS FOR KYRGIOS Australia's Nick Kyrgios, who is hoping to improve on last year's quarter-final appearance, beat Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2 7-5 6-2 to advance to the second round. - - - - 1000 - DJOKOVIC GIVES VIEWS ON MATCH-FIXING "For me, that's an act of unsportsmanship, a crime in sport honestly. I don't support it. I think there is no room for it in any sport, especially in tennis." Defending champion Novak Djokovic bemoans any form of fixing, adding that he was once indirectly approached over the throwing of a match. - - - - 0930 - FEDERER BASHES BASILASHVILI Roger Federer made short work of Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili, the third seed taking a little more than an hour to advance to the second round with a 6-2 6-1 6-2 victory. - - - - 0920 - SHARAPOVA EASES PAST HIBINO Women's fifth seed Maria Sharapova breezed past Japan's Nao Hibino 6-1 6-3 at the Margaret Court Arena to reach the second round. - - - - 0835 - DJOKOVIC NOT FEELING THE HEAT "A nice opening match with real Australian summer conditions." Novak Djokovic discusses the weather after his straight sets victory over South Korea's Chung Hyeon, during which temperatures hovered near 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit). - - - - 0735 - PUTINTSEVA KEEPS EMOTIONS IN CHECK "Oh my god. I was cramping the whole third set! I tried to keep my emotions inside and imagine that I was losing!" Putintseva reacts after defeating Wozniacki. - - - - 0730 - WOZNIACKI DUMPED OUT BY UNSEEDED PUTINTSEVA Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva served up the first big upset of the tournament by fighting back from a set down to dump out 16th seed Caroline Wozniacki 1-6 7-6(3) 6-4 at the Hisense Arena. - - - - 0630 - KUZNETSOVA MASTERCLASS SEES OFF HANTUCHOVA Former French and U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova 6-0 6-2 to storm into the second round, continuing from where she left off after winning the Sydney International on Friday. The 30-year-old Russian hit 10 aces past Hantuchova without reply and made just four unforced errors. - - - - 0620 - RADWANSKA EASES PAST MCHALE Women's fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska eased past American Christina McHale in straight sets to enter the second round. Poland's Radwanska committed 14 unforced errors to McHale's 28 to wrap up the match 6-2 6-3. - - - - 0555 - DJOKOVIC'S MESSAGE FOR WIFE "Ever since I had a baby things have been going uphill. Baby, we probably need to have more babies!" Top seed Novak Djokovic sends a message to his wife Jelena after his first round victory. - - - - 0545 - DJOKOVIC ADVANCES IN STRAIGHT SETS Men's top seed Novak Djokovic got his title defence up and running by storming past South Korea's Chung Hyeon at the Rod Laver Arena 6-3 6-2 6-4. The Serb hit a total of 40 winners to Chung's 16. - - - - 0540 - MERCURY RISING The temperatures have reached 35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit) at Melbourne Park - - - - 0515 - ANOTHER WOMEN'S SEED TUMBLES Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, seeded 26th, has bowed out after losing 1-6 6-3 6-4 to American Lauren Davis, who advances to face Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova in the second round. - - - - 0450 - GAVRILOVA ON EMULATING HEWITT "I actually was told that I'm a female Lleyton Hewitt once by my friend." Australia's Daria Gavrilova admits after she used compatriot Hewitt's war-cry "C'mon!' throughout her 7-6(3) 6-4 win over Lucie Hradecka. - - - - 0400 - BERDYCH BREEZES PAST BHAMBRI Men's sixth seed Tomas Berdych breezed past India's Yuki Bhambri in straight sets at the Margaret Court Arena, winning 7-5 6-1 6-2. The big-hitting Czech served up 13 aces against Bhambri. - - - - 0351 - 24TH SEED STEPHENS FALLS AT FIRST HURDLE American Sloane Stephens, an Australian Open semi-finalist in 2013, has crashed out in the first round after suffering a 6-3 6-3 defeat to China's world number 102 Wang Qiang - - - - 0345 - SERENA WILLIAMS ON FIRST ROUND VICTORY "It wasn't very easy, she obviously plays very well and knows how to hit the shots. I think it was really good for me to come out here and get the rhythm. "I was able to stay in it and stay calm today and I think that's what matters most. "Every single match (I'm nervous), and I think that's what makes it special for me. I still gets those butterflies and nerves." - - - - 0330 - SERENA WILLIAMS INTO SECOND ROUND Reigning champion and top seed Serena Williams reaches the second round with a hard-fought 6-4 7-5 victory over Camila Giorgi. - - - - 0320 - HEATING UP ON COURT Temperatures have reached 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) at Melbourne Park. - - - - 0315 - TUESDAY'S ORDER OF PLAY OUT The order of play for the second day is out. Spaniards Rafa Nadal and Garbine Muguruza will be on Rod Laver Arena but the primetime evening match on the main showcourt is the domestic clash between Lleyton Hewitt, playing his 20th and final Australian Open, and James Duckworth. - - - - 0245 - WILLIAMS WINS FIRST SET SINCE SEPTEMBER Defending champion Serena Williams, moving freely despite concerns about her fitness, has won her first set since last year's U.S. Open, taking the opening stanza in her clash with Camila Giorgi 6-4 on Rod Laver Arena. - - - - 0240 - FIRST WOMEN'S SEED TOPPLED Italy's Sara Errani became the first women's seed knocked out the year's opening grand slam, losing 1-6 7-5 6-1 to rising Russian talent Margarita Gasparyan. The victory over the 17th seed is the first in the main draw at a grand slam for 21-year-old Gasparyan. - - - - 0225 - NISHIKORI EASES PAST KOHLSCHREIBER Japan's seventh seed Kei Nishikori sweeps past German Philipp Kohlschreiber into the second round of the 'Grand Slam of the Asia-Pacific' in just under two hours. Nishikori, a U.S. Open finalist two years ago, won 6-4 6-3 6-4 to set up a clash with Krajicek. - - - - 0210 - KRAJICEK INTO SECOND ROUND, KARLOVIC RETIRES American Austin Krajicek was the first man into the second round after his 6-4 6-1 6-3 victory over China's Wu Di. Big serving Croatian Ivo Karlovic became the first player to retire on court during the tournament, pulling out of his contest with Federico Delbonis on Court 14 in the third set while trailing 7-6(4) 6-4 2-1. - - - - 0150 - AUTHORITIES ADDRESS MATCH-FIXING Tennis authorities have held a news conference at Melbourne Park regarding the reports of widespread match-fixing in the sport. ATP executive chairman and president Chris Kermode said they rejected suggestions match-fixing allegations had been repressed, adding that all information received by the Tennis Integrity Unit was acted upon. - - - - 0140 - KVITOVA ON RECENT ILLNESS "I'm very pleased how I played today, how I handled the nerves and everything. Had an interrupted lead-up with a stomach virus and lost some weight. (I had) to go quite often to the toilet for eight or nine days. I'm feeling much better now." - - - - 0120 - KVITOVA SAILS INTO SECOND ROUND Twice Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, the sixth seed in the women's draw, was the first player into the second round after a 6-3 6-1 win over Thai Luksika Kumkhum on Rod Laver Arena. The tall Czech, a semi-finalist in Melbourne in 2012, will next face Australia's Daria Gavrilova, who defeated Lucie Hradecka. - - - - 0020 - MATCH-FIXING ALLEGATIONS Widespread suspected match-fixing exists at the top level of world tennis, including at Wimbledon, according to secret files obtained by the BBC and online BuzzFeed News. - - - - 0000 PLAY UNDER WAY Play started on time on all courts with the temperature at Melbourne Park 28 degrees Celsius (82 Fahrenheit). - - - - ORDER OF PLAY - - ROD LAVER ARENA Luksika Kumkhum (Thailand) v 6-Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 1-Serena Williams (U.S.) v Camila Giorgi (Italy) 1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) v Chung Hyeon (South Korea) From 0800 GMT 3-Roger Federer (Switzerland) v Nikoloz Basilashvili (Georgia) Kristyna Pliskova (Czech Republic) v 25-Samantha Stosur (Australia) - - MARGARET COURT ARENA Daria Gavrilova (Australia) v Lucie Hradecka (Czech Republic) Yuki Bhambri (India) v 6-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 4-Agniezska Radwanska (Poland) v Christina McHale (U.S.) From 0800 GMT Nao Hibino (Japan) v 5-Maria Sharapova (Russia) 9-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) v Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) - - HISENSE ARENA Phillip Kohlschreiber (Germany) v 7-Kei Nishikori (Japan) 24-Sloane Stephens (U.S.) v Qiang Wang (China) Yulia Putintseva (Kazhakstan) v 16-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) From 0800 GMT 29-Nick Kyrgios (Australia) v Pablo Carreno Busta (Spain) (Compiled by Nick Mulvenney and Simon Jennings; Editing by Kevin Liffey)