Melbourne: In a big upset, Fernando Verdasco stunned Rafael Nadal 7-6(6), 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 in four hours and 41 minutes in the first round of the Australian Open, on Tuesday night. It is the first time in 11 visits that Nadal has suffered a first-round exit at Melbourne Park.
Meanwhile, in the women’s section at the Open, Johanna Konta shocked No.8 seed Venus Williams, 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of the Australian Open.
In other matches, No.3 seed Garbiñe Muguruza eased past Estonia's Anett Kontaveit, 6-4, 6-0, while 15th-seeded Madison Keys downed Zarina Diyas, 7-6(5), 6-1. No.11 seed Timea Bacsinszky and No.21 seed Ekaterina Makarova also moved through, each in straight sets.
Meanwhile, World No.133 Zhang Shuai dismantled No.2 seed Simona Halep on Margaret Court Arena, 6-4, 6-3, in 78 minutes. Zhang will next play Hobart International champion Alizé Cornet who beat Bojana Jovanovski, winning, 6-1, 6-0.
