Verdasco stuns Nadal in first round
Rafael Nadal suffered the only first-round exit of his career at the Australian Open after Fernando Verdasco recorded a stunning five-set win.
The Spanish left-handers produced an exhibition of hard-hitting in a match which spanned four hours and 40 minutes in the Rod Laver Arena.
Verdasco saved a break point to prevent going 3-0 down in the decider, going on to win 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 3-6 7-6 (4-7) 6-2.
Verdasco, 32, hit 90 winners and meets Israel’s Dudi Sela in round two.
Injuries and a 24-game decider
Verdasco’s quarter of the draw produced some drama on day two of the first Grand Slam of 2016, not least in a four hour and 43 minute match on court 19 as Jeremy Chardy beat Ernests Gulbis 13-11 in a deciding fifth set.
Frenchman Chardy – seeded 30 – edged through in temperatures around 31C in Melbourne and could now meet Nadal in round three.
Fourth seed Stan Wawrinka is in the same quarter of the draw but he will not have to worry about an early meeting with big-serving South African Kevin Anderson.
The 29-year-old – who knocked Andy Murray out of last year’s US Open – trailed American Rajeev Ram before retiring hurt in the fourth set.
Wawrinka – who plays Dmitry Tursunov later – could meet Murray at the semi-final stage if the draw goes according to seeding.
Guarding against a grind
Tenth seed John Isner – one of the biggest servers in the game – is a potential threat to Murray at the quarter-final stage and slammed 37 aces as he beat Jerzy Janowicz in straight sets.
Isner is one of seven Americans in round two – the most since nine progressed in 2009 – and one more is guaranteed to progress when Jack Sock meets Taylor Harry Fritz.
Elsewhere, 13th seed Milos Raonic explained he now wears a mouthguard during matches to prevent him from grinding his teeth.
The 25-year-old, who beat Frenchman Lucas Pouille in straight sets, says grinding his teeth causes “stress and headaches”, adding: “I guess maybe it’s just a way to calm myself down.”
Wimbledon runner-up progresses
In the women’s draw, Garbine Muguruza – beaten by Serena Williams in the Wimbledon final last year – opened play in the Rod Laver Arena on Tuesday.
The world number three – on court before Great Britain’s Johanna Konta beat Venus Williams – has never gone past round two in Melbourne but looked in complete control as she overcame Anett Kontaveit 6-0 6-4 in just 60 minutes.
Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens awaits Muguruza next and 2008 French Open champion Ana Ivanovic improved on her first-round exit in this tournament last year.
The Serb, 28, beat wildcard Tammi Patterson 6-2 6-3 and meets qualifier Anastasija Sevastova next.