Surprise names, a 33-year first, early exits and a Demon leading the way | Which Aussies remain in second round at Australian Open?

The second round begins on Wednesday at the Australian Open. But how have the home hopes done so far at the so-called Happy Slam with some surprise faces through, early exits for some big names and a leading Aussie standing out as ever.

Maya Joint was the leading Aussie to lose early on. One of the brightest stars seen in women's tennis in the nation for a number of years perhaps since Ash Barty retired, the 19-year-old has yet to get it right in a Grand Slam.

She was always going to perhaps struggle this year with now being the Aussie Number One. An honor bestowed by the fact that Daria Kasatkina too fell so far down the WTA Rankings after a break from the sport earlier in the year. This coupled with Joint's rise in winning multiple titles saw her catapult herself and become one of the faces of a next generation.

Most of which are friends off the court in herself, Victoria Mboko, Alexandra Eala, Iva Jovic and also Mirra Andreeva, the latter leads the way. Ironically only Jovic, Mboko and Andreeva now remain showing perhaps that they are a cut above the rest when it comes to the teenage generation.

All are multiple title winners and seem to hook it up in the bigger events more than most. While Joint doesn't seem to have that yet. She lost 6-4, 6-4 to Tereza Valentova. But also as well as the burden and despite not saying this was an issue, she also has struggled perhaps with being ill to start the year which blighted her United Cup. She also was well beaten in Adelaide by eventual champion MIrra Andreeva perhaps showing how far away she is from being on her tail yet. A lesson perhaps to be learned there.

Alexei Popyrin was utterly dejected after he was bundled out after having a prime spot on John Cain Arena. He lost out 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7, 6-7 to Alexandre Muller. He said afterwards that it can't keep going on like this and he is very much soul searching. He was one of a few top Aussies to also lose.

Daria Kasatkina was defeated by Nikola Bartunkova and is also like Popyrin perhaps at a crossroads. She has had some time off the sport. She has become more happier by finding her way into Australian life and becoming a citizen and also gaining fan support this slam. But also she has fallen behind the eight ball so to speak and has gone from top 20 to losing in the opening round.

But the silver lining perhaps more than anything for Kasatkina is that she is happy. Having spent most of the year burned out, she took some time off and Anisimova for instance wasn't an emphatic success on her return but she got it right eventually. Kasatkina has got to believe it'll be the same for her.

Others to lose included Emerson Jones who was well beaten by Victoria Mboko 6-4, 6-1 but is very much the next Maya Joint type figure to watch where she could be huge for Aussie tennis. While Kimberly Birrell perhaps was always on a hiding to nothing in regards to the winner or loser as she faced fellow Aussie, Maddison Inglis so one was always going to fall. But after a great week in Adelaide, it was not a run she could back up.

Staying with the Aussie women, it is the most into the second round since 1992 even in the absence of Kasatkina, Joint and co as Inglis liked alluded to completed the new record.

She joins Priscilla Hon, Storm Hunter, Talia Gibson, Ajla Tomljanovic and Taylah Preston. All of whom are unseeded and making waves.

"Everyone is playing so well," said Inglis as per the WTA. "Stormy coming through qualifying and winning, she was playing awesome. I watched Maya this morning, who unfortunately had a really tough match.

"We have so many girls playing so well. Taylah won today. Ajla had a great match yesterday. So yeah, it's really awesome to see them get through these tough matches. Talia, as well. I forget about the Perth girl. I think we're just pushing each other, making each other believe that we belong here and we can beat these girls. I think it's amazing."

Preston in particular who saw off Shuai Zhang backed up a great week that saw Emma Raducanu catch flack for losing to her in Hobart after getting a free bye to the Quarter-Finals. But Preston has shown that there is form there. She faces off against Linda Noskova.

Priscilla Hon who is often seen as the best friend to the top names in particular Karolina Muchova who they joked never leave each others sides which if you follow either on Instagram is very much the case and also Amanda Anisimova and is very much a player that no bad words are ever said about.

Including her first round opponent Marina Stakusic who was carted off in a wheelchair and Hon was there to hold her leg for her and make sure she was ok. But she faces a tough test in America's next top talent Iva Jovic. A surprise loser in the Hobart final, she also reached the semi-finals in Auckland and is seemingly destined to head the route that Andreeva has towards the higher echelons of the rankings .

But always in the pictures of fellow top stars, Hon will look to put herself at the forefront with what would be a big win. Talia Gibson also plays Diana Shnaider. While elsewhere Hunter who came up big in the United Cup after the illness for the other top names including Joint also is still involved. She faces Hailey Baptiste. While Ajla Tomljanovic will look to steer clear of injury and faces Elena-Gabriela Ruse. Inglis takes on Laura Siegemund.

No Nick Kyrgios, no Thanasi Kokkinakis but how have the men fared. Not as well as the women but there is still hope.

It has been mainly the women's game where the Aussie's have struggled in recent times in a post Ashleigh Barty landscape so it is perhaps great news to see that they've shifted it. But Alex de Minaur remains the leading men's light.

Albeit he will have it tough if he wins the title with Carlos Alcaraz a big roadblock. He hammered Mackenzie McDonald though 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 and now faces Hamad Medjedovic for a spot in the third round.

One to likely pencil in for the next update is De Minaur. But what about the others. Rinky Hijikata is through taking down Adrian Mannarino and now faces Shanghai Master, Valentin Vacherot. Jordan Thompson remains also having taken down Juan Manuel Cerundolo 6-7, 7-5, 6-1, 6-1 in the first round and now tackles Nuno Borges.

Dane Sweeny was the party pooper in all regards as he ended the Australian Open career of the legendary Gael Monfils in four sets ending the fairytale of the popular showman and giving himself a maiden Grand Slam win. One to savour.

While James Duckworth also battled through but he has Jannik Sinner next to contend with so the likelihood of him featuring in the third round could be minimal.

So while Popyrin, Christopher O'Connell, Vukic, Tristan Schoolkate among others have failed, the men's like the women's has included some of the elder statesman by now in De Minaur and Thompson but also heralded the likes of Sweeny who will be on a win win streak now.

Some crumbs for comfort for a nation starved of success knowing that one they could have top female talent in abundance coming up and also that De Minaur continues to thrive.