Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic survived a scare against Croatian teenager Dino Prizmic to progress to the second round of the opening major of the year.
The world number one - who made his Grand Slam debut seven months before his opponent was born - was pushed to the limit by Prizmic, playing out his longest-ever first-round Grand Slam match at just over four hours.
However, Djokovic's nous eventually told in a 6-2 6-7[5] 6-3 6-4 victory against the teenage qualifier, as the Serbian became the first-ever male player in the Open Era to win at least 90 matches in three different major tournaments.
During Serbia's United Cup run, Djokovic was hampered by a wrist injury, and while the 24-time major winner played down the severity of his issue ahead of Sunday's match, he was far from his best for a good portion of the contest.
Djokovic fell short in the second set tie-breaker and also lost serve twice in the third set, but he came roaring back in the latter with a four-game winning sequence before quickly assuming control of the fourth, extending that victorious streak to eight games.
Prizmic earned one break back and saved four match points to stay in the contest, but Djokovic - who also let another two such chances pass him by in the 10th game - finally got over the line before warmly embracing his 2005-born foe.
Djokovic's triumph preceded the day's closing battle between another 2023 champion and teenage competitor, but Aryna Sabalenka's triumph over 18-year-old Ella Seidel was far more straightforward.
The world number two did not begin her title defence until after 11.30pm at night, but she needed just 53 minutes to demolish Seidel 6-0 6-1, winning each of the first 11 games during a merciless performance.
A beleaguered Seidel belatedly got off the mark with a hold in the sixth game of the second set to delay the inevitable - saving two match points in the process - and Sabalenka let another four opportunities to close out the contest slip before converting her seventh.
Elsewhere in the women's singles section, Great Britain lost one hopeful in Jodie Burrage, who admitted to self-doubt after losing 2-6 6-3 6-0 to Germany's Tamara Korpatsch in her first-ever main-draw outing.
No seeds fell in the men's singles event on day one, where world number four Jannik Sinner made a winning start, sinking Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in straight sets 6-4 7-5 6-3, while fifth seed Andrey Rublev came through a five-set thriller with Thiago Seyboth Wild 7-5 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-7[10].
American duo Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe were also victorious over Facundo Diaz Acosta and Borna Coric respectively, but 2018 finalist Marin Cilic fell to Hungary's Fabian Marozsan in four sets.
Meanwhile, 13th seed Liudmila Samsonova was the highest seed to fall in the women's tournament, falling to a 3-6 4-6 defeat to Amanda Anisimova, while 20th seed Magda Linette retired from her battle with 2018 champion Caroline Wozniacki.
Eighth seed Maria Sakkari avoided a third successive first-round major exit by easing past Nao Hibino 6-4 6-1, while Leylah Fernandez and Barbora Krejcikova also progressed to the second round. body check tags ::
