MELBOURNE: Alexander Zverev began his quest for a maiden Australian Open title with a nervy first-round victory on Sunday, rallying past Canada’s Gabriel Diallo as fans voiced frustration over long queues and a sudden halt to ticket sales at Melbourne Park.
The third seed, runner-up to Jannik Sinner last year, recovered from losing the opening set to beat the world number 41 6-7(1) 6-1 6-4 6-2 on a sweltering afternoon at Rod Laver Arena.
“Definitely when I saw the draw I wasn’t too happy,” Zverev said of the dangerous unseeded Diallo. “I was thinking, ‘can’t get worse than that,’ but it got a lot better after that for me.”
Away from the courts, heightened security following last month’s Bondi Beach shooting slowed entry, with fans enduring long, snaking queues in the heat. Organisers compounded the frustration by suspending sales of popular ground-pass tickets within an hour of play, citing intense demand.
“We tried to buy a ground pass and they told us it was only A$229 tickets,” Melbourne resident Susan Walsh said. “Didn’t want to spend that much money… so, a bit disappointed.”
On court, seventh seed Jasmine Paolini provided a swift highlight, cruising past Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour in the opening match on Rod Laver Arena. “I will enjoy my Sunday now,” the Italian wrote on the courtside camera before leaving the court.
