Polina Kudermetova starts Australian Open with a victory

On January 18, Uzbekistan national team member Polina Kudermetova began her campaign at the Australian Open, a Grand Slam tournament, with a victory. Kudermetova defeated her Spanish opponent in straight sets without major difficulty.

Polina Kudermetova faced Spain’s Guiomar Maristany, one of the qualifiers, in the opening round. The match lasted 81 minutes, with Polina securing a confident 6–2, 6–3 win to advance to the round of 32.

Today, January 19, another Uzbekistan national team representative, Kamilla Rakhimova, took to the court in the first round against the world’s third-ranked player, American Coco Gauff. In a match that lasted exactly 100 minutes, Gauff claimed a 6–2, 6–3 victory to progress to the round of 32. She will now face Serbia’s Olga Danilovic, who defeated 45-year-old American Venus Williams in three sets, in the second round.

For reference, the main draw of the Australian Open 2026 began on January 18. The reigning champion is American Madison Keys, who defeated Aryna Sabalenka in three sets in last year’s final.