Senegal coach Aliou Cisse insists his side are embracing the pressure of defending their Africa Cup of Nations title.
Senegal lifted the trophy for the first time in Cameroon two years ago, beating Egypt on penalties in the final after the game had finished 0-0.
The Teranga Lions are among the favourites to triumph in the Ivory Coast this year and get their campaign under way against Gambia in Group C on Monday.
“The pressure that exists is a positive pressure which motivates us to win, but I have a lot of experience because I will have my fourth experience with Senegal as coach during the Africa Cup of Nations,” Cisse told a pre-match press conference.
“There are many candidates for the continental title and Senegal is not the only favourite to win the title.
“We now have a new challenge. Yesterday has passed, which was the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, and today there is the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.”
Gambia, who reached the quarter-finals on their debut in the competition two years ago before losing to hosts Cameroon, suffered a frightening start to their campaign when their initial flight to the Ivory Coast had to be aborted last week, just minutes after leaving Banjul.
Head coach Tom Saintfiet believes a lack of oxygen prompted many of his players to fall asleep and praised the pilot for quickly realising there was a problem.
Saintfiet told BBC Sport Africa: “The local crew said there was a problem with the air conditioning before we took off but that it would be all fine when we took off.
“After a few minutes it was very hot in the plane. We all fell asleep because there was a lack of oxygen – some of the players couldn’t be woken up. The pilot noticed and we had to return.
“People got headaches and, if the flight had gone on for another 30 minutes, the whole team would have died.
“The strange thing is that the oxygen masks didn’t come out – it’s good that the pilot realised that this was a deadly situation and so turned back. But we are still in shock.”
Haydock and Lingfield are mobilising in an effort to protect their weekend meetings as Britain braces for the upcoming cold snap.
Lingfield is set to host its annual three-day Winter Million meeting from Friday to Sunday, so-called because of the £1million in prize-money offered across the mixed Flat and jumps cards.
The fixture has coincided with challenging weather conditions before and will do so again, with minus temperatures expected throughout the week – as low as minus 5C.
The Flat card, scheduled for the Saturday, is held on the all-weather but is sandwiched on either side by two National Hunt days that include the Grade Two Lightning Novices Chase and the valuable Fleur De Lys Chase.
In light of the forecast the whole turf track has been covered, requiring 42 hands on deck and taking nearly 10 hours to give the course the best chance of repelling the impending freeze.
“We’re currently good to soft on the turf track, we put the fleece covers down yesterday,” said clerk of the course Stephanie Wethered on Sunday.
“We’ve got minus temperatures forecast so that’s why we got the covers down, to give us the best chance possible of getting the meeting on.
“We’ve tried to do everything possible ahead of the frost coming in and we’re hopeful we’ve given ourselves a fighting chance.”
Haydock has a seven-race fixture scheduled for Saturday, with the Grade Two Rossington Main Novices’ Hurdle the feature.
The forecast in Merseyside is subject to a yellow weather warning, with snow expected to fall in the early part of the week and freezing temperatures set to last until Thursday.
Clerk of the course Kirkland Tellwright, clerk of the course at Haydock, said: “We’d be in a good place to race today but we’ve got a week of frost, the lowest temperatures are minus 4C and minus 5C, and I think under those circumstances we will be right to the wall.
“We’ve covered, for what it’s worth, all the back straight and the take-offs and landings, but I’d be doubtful of that being enough.
“I would say I’m not optimistic, but we’ll take it as we come. There’s no need to be taking any decisions now, we’ll give it every chance and see how we get on.”
The weekend’s other major meeting is at Ascot, where frost covers and fleece were deployed on Friday. The headline event at the Berkshire track is the Clarence House Chase, in which the Willie Mullins-trained El Fabiolo and Nicky Henderson’s Jonbon are due to clash.
Monday’s meeting at Hereford and Tuesday’s fixture at Plumpton are both subject to morning inspections as racecourses across Britain brace themselves for freezing temperatures this week.
An 8am precautionary inspection has been called ahead of Hereford’s Monday jumps card, but clerk of the course John Holliday is “optimistic” racing will go ahead.
Tuesday’s meeting at Plumpton is subject to an 8.30am inspection on raceday morning.
The course has been frost free since Friday, but the mercury is forecast to dip below freezing on Monday morning and temperatures could get as low as minus 3C on Monday night.
In Ireland, Punchestown will inspect at 7.30am on Monday morning as minus temperatures are expected to strike across the Irish Sea too.
The worst two teams in the Eastern Conference pulled off a trade Sunday, as the Washington Wizards acquired Marvin Bagley, Isaiah Livers and two second-round draft picks from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said Washington (7-31) will receive second-round picks in 2025 and 2026 from Detroit (3-36).
Bagley, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, is averaging 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in 26 games this season. Livers has appeared in 23 games and is averaging 5.0 points and 2.1 boards.
Gallinari is averaging 7.0 points and just 14.8 minutes in 26 games per game after missing all of last season with a torn ACL. Muscala hasn’t played much either, averaging 4.0 points and 14.1 minutes in 24 contests.
The trade comes one day before the Wizards host the Pistons as part of the NBA’s annual tradition of honouring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Nigeria were held to a 1-1 draw by Equatorial Guinea in their Africa Cup of Nations Group A opening encounter in Abidjan.
Three-time AFCON champions Nigeria threatened early, but it was Equatorial Guinea who took a surprise lead through Iban Salvador in the 36th minute.
Napoli striker Victor Osimhen issued a near-instant reply when he headed home Ademola Lookman’s cross less than two minutes later to ensure the sides were square at the break.
Osimhen squandered the best opportunity of the second half, when heavy favourites Nigeria were forced to settle while their underdog opposition walked away with a valuable point.
Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi tested Equatorial Guinea keeper Jesus Owono within the first 20 seconds, the start of a sustained spell of attack for Jose Peseiro’s side.
The Super Eagles nearly found their opener after 10 minutes when Alhassan Yusuf delivered a fine cross to Zaidu Sanusi at the back post, but the Porto left-back directed his effort over the crossbar.
Nigeria looked likelier to break the deadlock, but it was Juan Micha’s men who found themselves ahead just after the half-hour mark.
After some patient build-up, Monza’s Jose Machin squared to Salvador, who sent Nigeria keeper Stanley Nwabali went the wrong way with a low finish to the bottom left.
However, celebrations were cut short when, just over a minute later, African Footballer of the Year Osimhen connected with Lookman’s cross and headed home.
Sanusi wasted a chance after the break and Owono came out to deny Osimhen soon after as Nigeria continued to apply pressure, and there was bad news for the Super Eagles when Yusuf was carried off on a stretcher after 69 minutes.
Ola Aina had forced Owono into another save seconds before, and Osimhen, again wearing a protective face mask, missed a huge chance when he found himself through on goal but fired wide from the edge of the six-yard box.
Nwabali was called into a rare test in second-half stoppage time, when his side staging a frenzied late surge but came up short of a winner.
Lisnagar Fortune deservedly opened his account over obstacles in the SkyBet Acca Freeze Maiden Hurdle at Punchestown.
An impressive bumper winner at the 2022 Punchestown Festival, the half-brother to Stayers’ Hurdle hero Lisnagar Oscar did not run again until finishing second on his hurdling debut at Tramore on New Year’s Day of last year.
The six-year-old was beaten as an odds-on favourite for a second time at Cork on his next start before being touched off by stablemate Readin Tommy Wrong at the same venue on his comeback in November, form which was well advertised by the winner’s surprise Grade One success at Naas on Friday.
On the strength of that run Lisnagar Fortune was odds-on at 10-11 to come good over hurdles at the fourth attempt and got the job done in good style, pulling six and a half lengths clear of Jasko Des Dames to complete a double on the card for Willie Mullins following the earlier success of Mystical Power.
Of Lisnagar Fortune, winning jockey Paul Townend said: “The penny is dropping a little bit with him. On form he was entitled to win after the run in Mallow (Cork).
“He’s just taken a while to come to hand and learn his jumping and things. I thought it was the best he has jumped today and he’ll progress away.
“He’ll end up going further but he was too keen, he’s starting to race now and to learn. He’ll end up going back out in trip in time, but I’m not sure if it’s the right time yet.”
Kates Hill broke her duck under rules in the Total Event Rental Beginners Chase.
The three-time point-to-point winner had been unsuccessful in seven previous outings over regulation obstacles, but was placed in bumpers and over hurdles and filled the runner-up spot on her chasing debut at Naas last month.
Philip Dempsey’s charge was a 15-8 shot to go one better under Donagh Meyler and dug deep from the final fence to see off the rallying Rolly Bowley Boy by half a length.
“That was great, she backed up her Naas run. She’s a great jumper, she’s a lovely mare and she won well there,” said Dempsey.
“There is novice handicap at Naas at the end of the month and the Ulster National could be a plan, distance would be her thing.”
Idol (100-30) landed the SkyBet Request A Bet Mares Handicap Hurdle for trainer Sam Curling and jockey Philip Enright, while Shark Hanlon and Shane Fenelon combined to take top honours in the Adare Manor Opportunity Handicap Chase with Easy Bucks (18-1).
The SkyBet Build A Bet Amateur National brought proceedings to a close, with victory going to the Ted Walsh-trained Hardwired (11-4 joint-favourite) and 7lb claimer Alex Harvey.
Goalkeepers Jordan Pickford and Emiliano Martinez contributed significantly to Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery’s first goalless draw in 97 Premier League matches.
The point meant Villa could not leapfrog Manchester City to go level on points with leaders Liverpool and while it did little for Everton, who are only one ahead of 18th-placed Luton – who have a match in hand – it did at least end a run of three successive league defeats.
A large part of that was down to Pickford, who made good saves from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins, while Martinez made his presence felt by denying Dominic Calvert-Lewin clean through on goal and also James Garner in quick succession.
However, while the two goalkeepers were on the top of their game at Goodison Park, the men leading their respective attacks were less so.
Calvert-Lewin has not scored for 13 matches and after failing to convert Everton’s best chance he was replaced just past the hour mark having failed to end a run dating back to October.
Watkins’ battle with James Tarkowski was more compelling but ultimately as fruitless as Villa’s 15 shots failed to produce a goal.
This was the 212nd league meeting between the pair – a record in English domestic history – and in the later stages that familiarity bred some contempt as players squared up to each other on several occasions.
Everton captain Seamus Coleman was making his 355th Premier League appearance, a new club record, and while the £60,000 signing from Sligo in 2009 will have enjoyed the clean sheet there was little else to celebrate about his landmark game.
Arnaut Danjuma woefully miscued an early volley from Jack Harrison’s cross and while the return of Abdoulaye Doucoure after five matches made a huge difference it was Villa who looked more constructive in the final third.
Watkins’ angled shot was blocked by Pickford’s knee and although the goalkeeper was beaten by Alex Moreno’s 20-yard strike a lengthy VAR check ruled Bailey, who played the final pass, was offside in the build-up from a short corner.
Pickford’s quick reactions tipped Bailey’s shot around his near post before Martinez proved he could match the England number one in the save stakes.
Danjuma’s through-ball with the outside of his right foot was the perfect invitation for Calvert-Lewin to race through but he never appeared confident, perhaps understandably considering his drought.
The striker – given a reprieve earlier this week when his red card at Crystal Palace was rescinded – was not afforded the same leniency by the Argentinian World Cup winner, who stuck out a foot to block the low shot when anything lifted off the turf would almost certainly have beaten him.
Martinez then made a similarly good stop from Garner low down to his left as he was moving to his right in the breakdown from the Calvert-Lewin attack.
Goalmouth incidents were less frequent in an increasingly fractious second half as referee David Coote struggled to get a handle on a number of strong challenges, several from a pumped-up Tarkowski.
When Danjuma stabbed wide after Harrison’s run down the right it was his – and Calvert-Lewin’s – last involvement.
A flurry of late activity saw Vitalii Mykolenko’s diving block smother a shot from Matty Cash, whose cross was then diverted just wide by the sliding Jhon Duran, before Doucoure raced clear to beat Martinez at his near post only to be denied by an offside flag.
Reading’s Sky Bet League One match with Port Vale was abandoned after home fans invaded the pitch to protest against owner Dai Yongge.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the key questions following the events of Saturday afternoon.
What happened?
With 16 minutes on the clock, approximately 1,000 Reading supporters entered the field at the Select Car Leasing Stadium. The match was halted, with around 40 people still refusing to leave the pitch some 68 minutes later. Fans stood in the centre circle surrounded by stewards before the announcement to call the game off was made at 4.25pm. Supporters chanted anti-Yongge slogans and unveiled a banner in the centre circle which read ‘Football has an ownership problem’.
Why did it happen?
Many Reading fans want Yongge to sell up. There has been an increasing amount of of fear and concern among supporters about the club’s direction under his stewardship. Sell Before We Dai, a fan group calling for a change of ownership, released a statement on Saturday evening entitled: ‘Desperate situation, desperate fans, desperate measures’. In the 242-word statement, members said they were “scared for the future” of the club and that “the threat could not be more real”.
What was the background to the protest?
Reading have had three points deductions – totalling 16 points – for various financial breaches in the past three years. Last season, a six-point deduction caused the Royals to be relegated from the Championship. This season, they have lost four points, punishment which has left them in the relegation zone. They have also been placed under transfer embargoes, while manager Ruben Selles has reportedly been unaware of transfer discussions for some of his players. Other, less disruptive, fan protests have previously been staged.
Who is Dai Yongge?
The Chinese businessman and his sister Dai Xiu Li became the majority shareholders of Reading in May 2017. The takeover was announced shortly after the Royals booked their place in the Championship play-off final, which they lost on penalties to Huddersfield. The 55-year-old Yongge was previously involved with Chinese club Beijing Renhe and Belgian side KSV Roeselare, both of which were dissolved. In 2016, he launched a failed bid to buy Hull. The English Football League was recently unsuccessful in a proposal to have Yongge disqualified from all football activity for 12 months following a financial misconduct charge.
What happens next?
Sell Before We Dai warned Saturday’s events were the start of an “elevated protest action”. The group plan to pressure the EFL in a bid to resolve the situation and may do so in collaboration with fans of other clubs which have experienced ownership issues. Further spontaneous match-day protests from fans are also a possibility. The EFL plans to “discuss the implications” of Saturday’s events with both clubs, with Reading likely to be sanctioned. Yongge placed the club up for sale in October and many Royals fans will hope a takeover is imminent.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe says his involvement with Manchester United is the most exciting thing he has done and expects his partial takeover to be ratified by mid-February.
The 71-year-old billionaire was at Old Trafford on Sunday to attend his first United match since agreeing to buy a 25 per cent stake in the Premier League outfit.
And ahead of kick-off for the visit of Tottenham, Ratcliffe spoke publicly for the first time since the Christmas Eve announcement of his deal.
“It’s the first match for me since we sort of got there, if you like,” he said, introducing himself to members of the media in the press conference room.
“I am very excited to be here, but I can’t answer any questions, really, because that would be inappropriate, honestly.
“It’s a big match… we normally do well against Spurs!”
Asked if his deal to come in at United is as exciting as anything he has ever done, Ratcliffe smiled and said: “Correct. Yes.
“I have done a few exciting things, but this caps it all. There’s no question about that.”
Ratcliffe said this was his first match at Old Trafford for two to three years, mentioning Paul Scholes and Eric Cantona when asked about his favourite players.
The 71-year-old thinks he was around 10 when he first watched United, where his INEOS group are preparing to take responsibility for footballing operations.
Ratcliffe plans to come “quite a lot” moving forwards and expects ratification to arrive in the next month.
“I think it’s three or four weeks,” he said. “Early Feb.”
A colleague interjected saying “early to mid Feb”, before Ratcliffe added with a laugh “we hope they don’t find anything dodgy in our CV!”
Ratcliffe was unable to answer questions on specifics until the deal gets the final sign off, saying it would not be appropriate to say what his first impressions were.
The INEOS chief also said he “can’t comment” when asked about his influence on the January transfer window and declined to answer what the biggest challenge was.
It was a brief conversation that is expected to be followed by a more in-depth media appearance when ratification is approved.
Quizzed on how long he has had ambitions to be involved, he said: “A few years.
“It’s taken a few turns, as you know, along the road, but these things quite often do. It all turned out well in the end.”
Girona moved top of the LaLiga table but failed to fully capitalise after being held to a frustrating goalless draw at rock -bottom Almeria.
With Real Madrid and Barcelona in Saudi Arabia for Sunday evening’s Spanish Super Cup final, Michel Sanchez’s in-form side had a major opportunity to put pressure on their title rivals.
Yet they climbed only a point above Real after failing to break down struggling opposition without a league win all season.
A disappointing afternoon for the high-flying visitors at Power Horse Stadium was compounded by midfielder Aleix Garcia being sent off 10 minutes from time for a last-man challenge on Gonzalo Melero.
The result could have been worse as struggling Almeria, who are 10 points from safety after taking only six points from 20 games this term, had the better of the limited chances.
Brazilian forward Leo Baptistao forced a fine save out of Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga before Garcia’s dismissal left the away side holding on in the final stages.
Concerned Reading fans plan to focus future protests towards the English Football League amid genuine fears the club could go out of business under owner Dai Yongge.
Saturday’s Sky Bet League One match between the Royals and Port Vale was abandoned after approximately 1,000 home supporters invaded the pitch at the Select Car Leasing Stadium.
Sell Before We Dai, a fan-led group urging Chinese businessman Yongge – Reading’s majority shareholder since May 2017 – to sell up, said the incident was “just the start”.
Group member Eleanor Flood, a season-ticket holder who has been watching Reading since 1994, called for support from the EFL to help stave off the possibility of liquidation.
“I think the people who can put the pressure on is the EFL, so I think we will turn our attentions to something there,” she told the PA news agency.
“They’ve got their head office in Preston and the London office, so I think we’ll look to do something that focuses more on them and their ability to really intervene in this.
“We don’t want them to let us go under when they could actually step up and help.
“I think that’s where the focus will be – PR stunts to keep it in everybody’s mind, but ultimately the next stage will be to put pressure on people who can actually help us.
“We were in the Premier League (most recently in the 2012-13 season) and now there’s a real possibility that we might not exist.
“For one of the oldest clubs in the football league, that’s just unimaginable, that we might go into liquidation.”
As a membership organisation and competition organiser, the EFL’s role is to ensure compliance and work within the bounds of regulations set by member clubs.
The League, which supports the new independent regulator, was recently unsuccessful in a proposal to have Yongge disqualified from all football activity for 12 months in relation to a financial misconduct charge.
Reading, formed in 1871, have been hit with a series of points deductions and financial penalties under his stewardship.
The Berkshire club were relegated from the Championship last term due to a six-point penalty and sit in the League One relegation zone after being stripped of four points this campaign.
Saturday’s pitch invasion occurred in the 16th minute, representing the total number of points deducted during Yongge’s reign.
Fans chanted anti-Yongge slogans and unveiled a banner in the centre circle which read ‘Football has an ownership problem’.
The 55-year-old Yongge, whose takeover came just before the Royals’ penalty shoot-out defeat to Huddersfield in the 2017 Championship play-off final, was previously involved with Chinese club Beijing Renhe and Belgian side KSV Roeselare, both of which were dissolved.
Flood said efforts to target the EFL could be done in collaboration with fans of other clubs troubled by recent ownership issues, such as next weekend’s opponents Wigan.
“It’s important to reference that he’s liquidated two other clubs as well, one in China and one in Belgium,” Flood said of Yongge.
“They don’t exist anymore – and we don’t want to be the third.
“You want there to be that club that’s passed from generation to generation and at this point we’re really scared that next season it might not exist.”
The EFL is set to discuss the implications of the abandoned match with Reading and Port Vale.
Jayson Tatum had no regrets after being ejected for the second time in six weeks on Saturday, being pulled up for back-to-back technical fouls as the Boston Celtics crushed the Houston Rockets.
Tatum had 27 points and eight assists in support of Jaylen Brown's 32 points as the Celtics stayed perfect at home, claiming a 145-113 victory over their former coach Ime Udoka and the Rockets.
League-leading Boston are now up to 30-9 and are 19-0 at TD Garden, having never previously started a season with more than 17 straight home wins.
The game ended on a slightly sour note for the Celtics, though, as Tatum was removed for two technicals in quick succession.
Having received his first for complaining about a non-call when his arm was clearly struck during an attempted dunk with just over 10 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Tatum continued to berate the officials then shouted at referee CJ Washington after being ejected.
Tatum has no regrets over his behaviour, however, suggesting he chose the right moment to air his grievances as Boston closed in on a blowout win.
"I'm a pretty self-aware person. I understand the time and score of the game, Tatum said. "The game was pretty much over. I've got to stand up for myself. I was frustrated.
"At some point throughout the course of the night, you've got to stand up for yourself. This is not something I do every game or every night. Tonight, I just had to let them know how I felt.”
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla echoed those sentiments, saying: "In the NBA you have that space of having to defend yourself, and for me having to defend my guys.
"There's a time and a place for everything, and you've just got to pick and choose your spots."
Asked about the non-call which led to Tatum's first technical, Mazzulla said: "When it comes to stuff like that, I try not to have an opinion."
Saturday's win – Boston's 10th in their last 13 games – came just 48 hours after a 33-point loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, and Brown recognised the importance of bouncing back.
"Last game we didn't feel like we were at our best," Brown said. "Today we wanted to come out and make sure we stayed undefeated on our home court."
Croatian teenager Dino Prizmic marked himself out as a name for the future by pushing Novak Djokovic in a four-hour contest at the Australian Open.
The first ever Sunday start at Melbourne Park saw one of its most memorable opening-round matches, with Djokovic finally beating the 18-year-old qualifier 6-2 6-7 (5) 6-3 6-4.
Women’s defending champion Aryna Sabalenka followed Djokovic on court and swatted aside Ella Seidel 6-0 6-1 but there was disappointment for Britain’s Jodie Burrage, who lost in three sets to Tamara Korpatsch.
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Andre Agassi has not been seen much around the tennis circuit since retirement, bar a short stint coaching Djokovic, but the four-time former champion is back at Melbourne Park, where he spotted a very familiar face.
LongevityFallen seeds
Women: Liudmila Samsonova (13), Magda Linette (20), Wang Xinyu (30)
Men: None
Who’s up next?
Andy Murray begins his campaign on Monday against Argentinian 30th seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry.
Naomi Osaka’s return to grand slam tennis is last in the night session on Rod Laver Arena against 16th seed Caroline Garcia after big home hope Alex De Minaur takes on Milos Raonic.
US Open champion Coco Gauff and former Melbourne finalists Daniil Medvedev and Stefanos Tsitsipas are also in action.
Eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt is known for his supremacy in track and field, but the former sprinter has ventured onto another track, delving into Formula E racing.
The eight-time Olympic gold medallist made a surprise guest appearance as part of a promotion: the fastest man in the fastest electric vehicle, driving the record-breaking GenBETA car ahead of the main event and taking part in the grid walk just prior to the race on Saturday.
Bolt is a well-known fan of Formula 1 racing and has been spotted at various Grand Prix races for the prestigious motor racing competition.
Unlike Formula 1, which showcases hybrid race cars with engines powered by traditional fuel sources, the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship features all-electric race cars.
Bolt holds the men’s 100m world record of 9.58 seconds, but smashed that time - obviously - in the specially modified version of the Gen3 car used in Formula E races, piling through the 100m track in 4.36s.
“This is the first time in my life I’m comfortable saying something is faster than me,” he joked.
“It is like a rocket ship on wheels. Getting the chance to drive it was a mind-blowing experience. The power from the start was such a surprise and the adrenaline you got is on a different level, easily. Driving the GenBETA was like nothing I’ve experienced before; I was told that as soon as you drive, you don’t want to stop or get out and they were right. I would do it every day if I could.”
Bolt was also gifted a helmet by Formula E World Champion driver Jake Dennis.
The helmet incorporates a green and black colour scheme and features the Jamaican flag, Bolt’s name, and his trademark “to di worl” logo, which showcases his iconic celebratory victory pose.
In addition to meeting Dennis and speaking with former F1 star and Formula E TV presenter David Coulthard, Bolt was also introduced to Bajan Formula 2 driver Zane Maloney. Maloney will serve as a development driver and reserve driver in Formula E’s 10th season.
Aryna Sabalenka began the defence of her Australian Open title with a 53-minute drubbing of German teenager Ella Seidel.
The second seed was made to wait until nearly midnight by Novak Djokovic’s battle with Dino Prizmic but her encounter with an 18-year-old qualifier could not have been more different.
Sabalenka dropped only 10 points in the first set and had two match points for a double bagel before completing a 6-0 6-1 victory on Rod Laver Arena.
“I’m super happy to be back in Melbourne,” said the Belarusian, who lifted her first slam silverware 12 months ago. “Last time I had incredible memories from here, unforgettable I would say. It feels so great to be back and feel the support.”
Caroline Wozniacki’s first match at Melbourne Park for four years ended prematurely when opponent Magda Linette, a semi-finalist here last year, withdrew trailing 6-2 2-0.
Wozniacki won her only grand slam title in Australia in 2018 and retired following a third-round loss two years later before having two children and then coming out of retirement last summer.
“I feel very comfortable playing here,” said the Dane. “I feel comfortable with the ball. I feel very just thrilled to be here. Immediately when I stepped foot on these courts, in this arena, I felt right at home. I think it’s a special place for me and always will be.”
American Amanda Anisimova is another player on the comeback trail having stepped away from the tour last May over concerns for her mental health.
The 22-year-old, who first reached the fourth round here five years ago, did not pick up a racket for four months but has returned rejuvenated and pulled off the upset of the day by defeating 13th seed Liudmila Samsonova 6-3 6-4.
“I’m just here for the journey right now and seeing how much I can progress,” she said. “I think I would take it with whatever outcome I would get. But I am happy with the wins, and I really hope that I can build on from it.
“The most important thing is that I feel a lot more refreshed. I’m enjoying practising. I’m enjoying every second that I’m out there. Even when I was down today, I was still just enjoying the challenge.
“I’m just happy with how I feel coming back. I feel like I was very burned out while I was playing, and that really wasn’t a nice feeling.”
Also through to the second round are a pair of 16-year-olds in Russian Alina Korneeva, last year’s junior champion, and Czech Brenda Fruhvirtova.
The most heralded 16-year-old in the current game, Mirra Andreeva, will join them if she can win her opening match on Monday.
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