Melbourne, Jan. 20 -- Defending champion Madison Keys and rising Australian star Taylah Preston both recorded first-round victories at the Australian Open on Tuesday, setting a promising tone for the opening week at Melbourne Park.
American ninth seed Madison Keys faced a challenging test from Ukrainian debutant Oleksandra Oliynykova. Keys struggled early against Oliynykova's unorthodox style, which included high moonballs and rapid court coverage.
After a tense first set, Keys found her rhythm and won 7-6(6), 6-1. She will meet Ashlyn Krueger in the second round. Speaking after the match, Keys said, "It was incredible to walk out for the first time since walking off the court a year ago. I'm really glad I got through that match."Meanwhil...