MELBOURNE: World no. 5 Lorenzo Musetti of Italy advanced to the second round after his Belgian opponent Raphael Collignon retired due to injury.
The match was a gruelling three-hour marathon, with Musetti leading 4-6, 7-6(3), 7-5, 3-2 when Collignon had to stop.
The match marked Musetti's Grand Slam debut, shortly after he attained his career-high ranking of No. 5 on January 12, 2026, following his final appearance in Hong Kong. He is only the third Italian man in history to reach this ranking milestone.