Zverev wobbles but wins at Australian Open as Alcaraz enters fray

Melbourne: Alexander Zverev overcame a shaky start before reaching the second round on Sunday s first day of the Australian Open, as top ranked Carlos...

Melbourne: Alexander Zverev overcame a shaky start before reaching the second round on Sunday's first day of the Australian Open, as top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka get set to enter the fray.

Also in action later at a hot and sunny Melbourne is 45-year-old Venus Williams, who will become the oldest woman ever at the Grand Slam.

Well beaten in last year's final by Jannik Sinner, the third seed Zverev threatened to implode in losing the first set to Canada's 41st-ranked Gabriel Diallo on a tie-break.

But the 28-year-old recovered from the shock to win 6-7 (1/7), 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 on Rod Laver Arena and next meets home player Alexei Popyrin or Alexandre Muller of France.

"Definitely when I saw the draw I was not too happy," Zverev said on court of facing 24-year-old Diallo. "He is someone very young, talented and unbelievably aggressive."