Tennis top seed Iga Swiatek beats former women's champion Sofia Kenin at Australian Open

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) – Tennis top seed Iga Swiatek of Poland on Tuesday eliminated 2020 women's champion Sofia Kenin from the 2024 Australian Open, the year’s first Grand Slam tournament.

Swiatek, a four-time Grand Slam singles champion who has never reached the final stage at the Australian Open, defeated 25-year-old US opponent Kenin 7-6 (7-2), 6-2 at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne to advance to the tournament's second round.

The 22-year-old Polish star will next face another US player Danielle Collins, the 2022 Australian Open finalist, in the upcoming round.

Collins beat Germany's Angelique Kerber, the 2016 champion, with the sets of 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 in the Round 1.

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus beat Italian Camila Giorgi 6-1, 4-6, 6-3 to reach the second round, where she will play against Danish world number 100 Clara Tauson.

Sloane Stephens of the US defeated Australia's Olivia Gadecki 6-3, 6-1 to advance and to face Russia's Daria Kasatkina.

In men's singles, Danish eighth seed Holger Rune won a four-set match over Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in Melbourne.

Rune beat the world no. 58 with sets of 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 in a Round 1 match at Rod Laver Arena, and he will next play against France's Arthur Cazaux.

Norway's Casper Ruud, the world no. 11 in men's tennis, beat his Spanish opponent Albert Ramos-Vinolas in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, and 6-1, to take on Australia's Max Purcell in the next round.

The 2024 Australian Open started on Sunday and will end on Jan. 28 with the men's final.