UCLA at the 2022 Australian Open: Day 1

MONDAY, JAN. 17

Main draw action at the 2022 Australian Open began Monday in Melbourne, Australia and two former UCLA men's tennis teammates logged differing results in singles play.

Mackenzie McDonald, who reached the fourth round in 2021's tournament, was victorious in his 2022 opener, fighting back from a lost first set. Marcos Giron, meanwhile, was defeated by 20-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal of Spain.

Pitted against qualifier Nikola Milojevic of Serbia, McDonald saw his opponent take the final three games of the initial set for the advantage. The second set saw the players twice alternate breaks of serve before McDonald claimed the decisive one to send the match to a third set knotted at one apiece. There, McDonald won extended games at 3-2 and 5-3 to take a two-games-to-one advantage. Then, in the decider, McDonald took five of the first six games and finished off Milojevic in a 5-7, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 decision.

McDonald will next face 18th-seeded Aslan Karatsev of Russia.

Giron held serve in his first opportunity with the sixth-seeded Nadal, but was broken each of the next two times to lose the opening set in Rod Laver Arena. Giron settled in during the second set, but a break out of the gate proved all Nadal needed. Nadal went on to win by a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 margin.

Day 2 is set to feature an appearance by the third ATP top-70 Bruin, as Maxime Cressy will take on fellow American John Isner, who is seeded 22nd. Ready to make her Grand Slam debut is Robin Anderson, who squares off with Samantha Stosur of Australia in an all-wild-card matchup. Both contests will take place Monday night in the United States.

Good Morning Melbourne ☀#AusOpen • #AO2022 pic.twitter.com/MHtvavhXP5

— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 18, 2022