Jannik says he is not an early bird, but for the third year in a row he was called to open the gates at Melbourne Park and for the third year he was among the first to end up in the shower. On a rather hot day with exceptionally bright sunshine, Tennis Australia had put its own spin on it, scheduling the Italian's debut as the first match of the year on Rod Laver Arena. And even the draw had not been particularly benevolent, if it is true that the 22-year-old Italian's fifth Happy Slam began against Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp, 59th ranked player in the world but knocking on the doors of the top 20 a year and a half ago. Jannik closed 6-4 7-5 6-3 in 2 hours and 34 minutes. "I think I can be satisfied with what I did," said the Italian after the match, "I responded well while on serve I was so-so. Maybe I felt a bit nervous, the feeling of being back on the court for a tournament I like a lot ... we've been here for a while and this day served me well. I'm glad to be in Melbourne and playing a Slam, I've played so-so in the first match before and then improved in the second match. I hope to do the same thing here and be able to raise the bar. Overall, I can be happy”.
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