Australian Open 2025: Jessica Pegula averts rising star Maya Joint to open Melbourne campaign

Jessica Pegula is into the second round of the 2025 Australian Open successfully after easing past rising star Maya Joint who had no answers for her vastly more experienced opponent losing 6-3, 6-0 in Melbourne.

Pegula perhaps came in with a bit of a banana skin as she reached the final in Adelaide losing to Madison Keys which on the surface means she is in form but also provides perhaps a curse with many players who do well not able to find their feet in the weeks that follow.

Keys and Danielle Collins for instance after Strasbourg last year going into Roland Garros and also even Brisbane never having seen a winner crowned after they claimed the title. But Pegula despite not winning that title has played herself into some good form and eased through in just over an hour.

Joint is right at the start of her career but is already on the cusp of the top 100. Amid the lack of a breakout star in women's tennis in Australia, Joint who impressed at the US Open and famously had to basically hand back most of her prize money to the NCAA could soon be Australia's top female player.

But on this showing, it is not coming quite yet. What is next for Pegula? She faces off against either Liudmila Samsonova or Olga Danilovic in the third round if she gets past Mertens or Golubic so both achievable tests.

She recently was injured which perhaps puts a tiny question mark on the American but given she is now over that Quarter-Final hurdle, it could perhaps be the start of a great two weeks in Melbourne. It is the first one over and done though for her and she moves on.

Others to win through in recent hours include Belinda Bencic returning from pregnancy for her biggest win yet as she saw off Jelena Ostapenko 6-3, 7-6. While Anastasia Potapova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova are both through. As is Jule Niemeier. To come today include that Mertens v Golubic tie as well as Karolina Muchova and Naomi Osaka. Marta Kostyuk will need to fight back from a set down to defeat Nao Hibino while Jaqueline Cristian is currently enduring a fightback against Petra Martic.