Defending champion Madison Keys struggled early but held on to defeat Oleksandra Oliynykova in the first round of the tournament.
According to ESPN, Keys defeated Oliynykova of Ukraine 7-6 (6), 6-1 in a first-round match Tuesday at the Australian Open.
Ninth-seeded Keys dug herself into a deep hole at Rod Laver Arena but recovered. She trailed 4-0 in the first set and rallied to force a tiebreaker against Oliynykova.
Oliynykova, playing in her first Grand Slam main draw, also raced to a 4-0 lead in the tiebreaker but failed to cash in on two set-point opportunities, giving Keys the opening she needed to take the set.
"Obviously I was very nervous at the start," Keys said in an on-court interview. "As nervous as I was ... I'm really glad to be back, and that I got through that match."
Keys praised Oliynykova, who signed autographs, accepted loud applause and waved a Ukrainian flag on-court after the match.
"My opponent today was incredible," Keys said. "She started so well. Such a great competitor. She definitely made it tricky for me."
The first set lasted 1 hour, 12 minutes.
Oliynykova kept Keys off stride, particularly in the first set, with random shots, which included high lobs that forced Keys deep behind the baseline. The Ukrainian's strong defense and unorthodox play also kept her in the match early.
Keys is playing in her 12th Australian Open and her 50th Grand Slam tournament overall.
