British primary Cameron Norrie made a successful begin on the Auckland Traditional and Jack Draper produced a surprising comeback to progress in Adelaide.
Norrie, runner-up final 12 months within the metropolis the place he grew up, defeated Frenchman Luca Van Assche 6-3 6-7 (6-8) 6-1.
Draper survived two match factors to beat Miomir Kecmanovic in three units – however Dan Evans misplaced to Alexander Bublik.
In the meantime, in pre-Australian Open exhibition matches, Andy Murray misplaced to Marin Cilic and Emma Raducanu withdrew.
Raducanu, who had pulled out of a charity match in Melbourne on Tuesday, determined the next day that she would not play 16-year-old Mirra Andreeva on the Kooyong Traditional on Thursday as she continues to really feel some soreness in her first weeks again on tour.
That isn’t anticipated to have an effect on the 2021 US Open champion’s participation on the Australian Open, the place she is about to make her Grand Slam return after lacking a lot of 2023 following ankle and wrist surgical procedures.
On the Kooyong Traditional, former world primary Murray was defeated 6-3 7-5 by Croatia’s former US Open champion Cilic because the Scot’s shedding begin to the 12 months continued.
Murray, 36, was crushed within the opening spherical of the Brisbane Worldwide earlier this month and advised BBC Sport a fortnight in the past that this 12 months may very well be his closing one on the tour if it proved to be as difficult as the top to final season.
The three-time Grand Slam champion, who received simply two matches in his closing 5 occasions of final 12 months, will face 2020 US champion Dominic Thiem in one other exhibition match on Thursday.
There have been wins for Britons Harriet Dart, Francesca Jones and Oliver Crawford in Australian Open qualifying – however Heather Watson and Jan Choinski noticed their hopes of competing on the first main of the 12 months ended.
The draw for the 2024 Australian Open takes place in Melbourne on Thursday (02:00 GMT).
