QUINIX Sport News: Australian Open Day 3: Andrey Rublev upset by Brazilian teen; Americans Taylor Fritz, Emma Navarro, Ben Shelton advance

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Round 1 of the 2025 Australian Open is officially in the books. The final day of early play contained an unexpected early exit as well as unexpected success for two teenagers looking to make their mark on the first Grand Slam of the year.

In a round of few upsets, Tuesday saw perhaps the most surprising. Russian Andrey Rublev, seeded ninth, was upset by qualifier Joao Fonseca, an 18-year-old from Brazil. He stormed into his Grand Slam main draw debut, stunning Rublev 7-6(1), 6-3, 7-6(5) in two hours and 23 minutes. Fonseca came into Round 1 on a 14-match winning streak and won over the crowd with his easy power and unshakable confidence. He’s just the second teenager since 1973 to beat a top-10 player in his first Grand Slam match.

Fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev had to stare down his own possible early exit against Kasidit Samrej of Thailand. Medvedev won the first set, but Samrej won the next two. Unable to make any more mistakes, Medvedev rose to the challenge in the final two sets, easily finishing off Samrej and winning 6-2, 4-6, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. He’ll face unseeded American Learner Tien in the second round.

It was a good day for Americans in the top 32, though curiously they all had to defeat other Americans to make it through to the second round. Taylor Fritz, the No. 4 seed, defeated his unseeded countryman Jenson Brooksby 6-2, 6-0, 6-3. Emma Navarro, seeded eighth in women’s singles, had a bit more trouble against fellow American Peyton Stearns. Navarro needed three hours and 20 minutes to defeat Stearns, but she managed to do it, winning 6(5)-7, 7-6(5), 7-5.

No. 19 Madison Keys also faced an American, Ann Li, and claimed a 6-4, 7-5 victory. And Ben Shelton, seeded 21st, took down Brandon Nakashima in a tough three-setter, winning 7-6(3), 7-5, 7-5. American wild-card entry Iva Jovic, who is playing in her second Grand Slam at just 17 years old, defeated Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain to advance to the second round.

Jasmine Paolini and Elena Rybakina, seeded fourth and sixth, respectively, both sailed through their Round 1 matches. Paolini defeated Chinese qualifier Sijia Wei 6-0, 6-4, while 2022 Wimbledon champ Rybakina took care of 17-year-old Emerson Jones 6-1, 6-1 in just 53 minutes. Rybakina will face yet another 17-year-old in Round 2, taking on Jovic.

Ons Jabeur, unseeded in Melbourne, is looking to get her groove back after a punishing 2024. Once the No. 2 women’s singles player in the world, she is now ranked 39th after starting 2024 at No. 6. She faced Anhelina Kalinina on Tuesday and emerged with a straight-sets 6-3, 6-3 win in just 72 minutes. If this is the beginning of her journey back to the top, it couldn’t have started any better.