Australian Open 2015 Results: Day 1 Scores and Day 2 Bracket Predictions
Early play in Australian Open is typically reserved for upstart players looking to make a name for themselves by knocking off a tournament favorite. Most of the upsets came on the women's side, but one major semifinalist from last season got off to a rocky start.
The highest-seeded player to be upset was No. 5 Ana Ivanovic, who fell in three sets to Lucie Hradecka. Several other notable female players, such as No. 9 Angelique Kerber and No. 16 Lucie Safarova, also saw their Grand Slam come to an abrupt end.
On the men's side, No. 11 Ernests Gulbis was the lone casualty of the highly ranked players. Gulbis made a statement last season with a visit to the French Open semifinals, but he has never made it past the second round of the Australian Open.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Following the end of a wild Day 1 down in Melbourne, here's a look at the notable scores and predictions for Day 2 of the Aussie Open.
| Matchup | Result |
| No. 3 Rafael Nadal def. Mikhail Youzhny | 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 |
| No. 2 Roger Federer def. Yen-Hsun Lu | 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 |
| No. 6 Andy Murray def. Yuki Bhambri | 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(3) |
| No. 10 Grigor Dimitrov def. Dustin Brown | 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 |
| No. 7 Tomas Berdych def. Alejandro Falla | 6-3, 7-6(1), 6-3 |
| Thanasi Kokkinakis def. No. 11 Ernests Gulbis | 5-7, 6-0 1-6, 7-6(2), 8-6 |
| No. 14 Kevin Anderson def. Diego Schwartzman | 7-6(5), 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 |
| Matchup | Result |
| No. 3 Simona Halep def. Karin Knapp | 6-3, 6-2 |
| Lucie Hradecka def. No. 5 Ana Ivanovic | 1-6, 6-3, 6-2 |
| No. 2 Maria Sharapova def. Petra Martic | 6-4, 6-1 |
| Irina-Camelia Begu def. No. 9 Angelique Kerber | 6-4, 0-6, 6-1 |
| No. 7 Eugenie Bouchard def. Anna-Lena Friedsam | 6-2, 6-4 |
| Julia Goerges def. No. 32 Belinda Bencic | 6-2, 6-1 |
| Kristina Mladenovic def. No. 28 Sabine Lisicki | 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 |
| Caroline Garcia def. No. 27 Svetlana Kuznetsova | 6-4, 6-2 |
| Yaroslava Shvedova def. No. 16 Lucie Safarova | 6-4, 2-6, 8-6 |
| No. 10 Ekaterina Makarova def. An-Sophie Mestach | 6-2, 6-2 |
Day 2 Bracket Predictions
No. 1 Novak Djokovic Makes Early Statement
Remember that talk about early play being for young players to surprise notable names? Well, that won't happen as easily for Aljaz Bedene.
The Slovenian player, for now, as he awaits word on his British citizenship, has the unfortunate draw of Novak Djokovic for the first round. Of his seven Grand Slams, Djokovic has claimed four in the Happy Open.
After missing out on a four-peat last season, the Djoker is ready to pounce this season. Bedene had high praise for his upcoming opponent leading up to their first-round match, per Simon Briggs of the Daily Telegraph:
"Lately I have been watching quite a few tennis videos on YouTube and I have seen Djokovic quite a lot.
I think he is the best player in the world when he plays his best, no offence to Roger [Federer]. I love how he moves on the court, his shots. He has improved his serve, his all-round play, which I am trying to achieve as well.
"
To be the best, you have to beat the best. Not that anyone is thinking Bedene is anywhere in the category of the "best," but taking down Djokovic would certainly send ripples throughout the tournament.
Don't expect anything like that with the Djoker looking to rebound from a disappointing exit last season. He will come out and thwart any effort by Bedene en route to an eighth straight quarterfinals appearance, at the very least.
Wash, Rinse, Repeat for No. 1 Serena Williams
Everyone loves to see a No. 1 player go down early. In the case of Serena Williams, it was an all too common occurrence for the world No. 1 last season.
Williams was bounced in the fourth round or earlier in the first three Grand Slams before the U.S. Open. That was when the now 18-time Grand Slam winner struck fear in the rest of the women's game yet again by torching her way through the bracket.
Tennis coaching legend Nick Bollettieri shared his thoughts on how dominant Williams can be, per the Aussie Open's official Twitter account:
Facing off with Alison Van Uytvanck, a 20-year-old Belgian player, Williams has an easy path to the quarterfinals. In fact, the first potential matchup against a ranked player will not come until the fourth round.
If Caroline Wozniacki makes her way to the quarterfinals, Williams might actually have a stiff test. On Tuesday, however, she'll be able to flex her muscle against a young opponent that won't be ready for her power.
No. 4 Stanislas Wawrinka Begins Title Defense with Rout
No player had a better start to the 2014 season than Stan Wawrinka. After living in Roger Federer's shadow as the second-best Swiss player for years, Wawrinka emerged as a title contender after winning his first Grand Slam in Melbourne.
What happened after that was a lot of underwhelming play from Stan the Man, as he fell in the first round in France and failed to advance past the quarterfinals in the remaining majors. That fall from grace was a tough one, but now, Wawrinka returns to the Happy Open.
The Stanimal will come out and dismantle Marsel Ilhan, an experienced player in his own right. In order to turn the tide completely, however, Wawrinka will need another late run in Melbourne to convince analysts that he still belongs in the discussion of the best players on the men's side.
Follow @RCorySmith on Twitter.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
