Heavy rain and thunderstorms caused play to be halted on the outside courts for more than six hours as the 2025 Australian Open got off to the soggiest of starts.
The long break also came at an inopportune time for the first local hope in action, Omar Jasika, who had been threatening to turn the tide against Hugo Gaston.
Frenchman Gaston raced through the first set 6-2 late on Sunday morning.
Wildcard Jasika created six break-point opportunities – none of which he was able to convert – in the second game of the second set before play was suspended due to heavy rain and thunder with the pair locked at deuce.
Action was able to continue under closed roofs on the three main show courts throughout the afternoon.
But it was a different story on the uncovered outside courts, where play did not start again until about 6.30pm AEDT, by which time there were significantly fewer fans in the stands.
More than 30mm of rain was recorded at Melbourne Park on Sunday.
When play got under way again, 27-year-old Jasika finally secured that elusive break of serve to go up 2-0 in the second set.
The Australian shot to prominence in 2014 when he became the first player in 28 years to win the boys’ singles and doubles titles at the US Open.
But he has won only one of his four previous main-draw grand slam singles matches – and that was way back at the 2016 Australian Open.
Gaston lost his only previous clash with a local at Melbourne Park, falling to Chris O’Connell in the opening round in 2022.
Jasika is one of five Australians in action on day one in Melbourne, along with Adam Walton, Aleksandar Vukic, Li Tu and Daria Saville.
