If Madison Keys was not nervous enough about starting her Australian Open title defence, facing an unknown opponent only added to the tension.
The 30-year-old American had a fairytale run in Melbourne 12 months ago, culminating in her lifting the first Grand Slam trophy of her career.
However, she made an edgy start to her title defence on Tuesday, losing the first four games to Grand Slam debutant Oleksandra Oliynykova.
Keys said afterwards she had struggled to find footage of her opponent to help her prepare, with Oliynykova’s defensive play style not matching up well with her big-hitting game.
But the ninth seed eventually settled down to clinch a 7-6 (8-6) 6-1 victory over the Ukrainian.
“I’ve been thinking about this moment for basically a year,” said Keys.
“The moment they say, ‘Ready, play’, it all hits you in a way that I don’t think you can ever really explain.
“As nerve-racking and stressful as that can be, I’m still reminding myself of just how few people get to be in that moment.
“Being able to walk out today and have the crowd be as welcoming as they were, I’ll take the stress any day.”
