Wu outlasts Nardi in Australian Open first round clash

MELBOURNE, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese qualifier Wu Yibing defeated Italy's Luca Nardi on Tuesday to reach the second round of the Australian Open for the first time.

Wu hit 45 winners in a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 victory in just under three hours. The 26-year-old will next face Eliot Spizzirri, who upset 28th seed Joao Fonseca.

Wu won three qualifying matches to reach the main draw, his first appearance in a Grand Slam main draw since 2023.

Both players held serve through most of the opening set before Wu broke late to take it after an hour.

Nardi, ranked 108th, leveled the match, but Wu raised his level to take control of the third and fourth sets, closing out the win with a run of winners.

It is the second Grand Slam event that Wu has won a match in the main draw. He previously reached the third round of the 2022 US Open and made through the first round the next year. ■