"I would love to play the first night match, but it's tough putting Novak Djokovic not on the prime slot" - Coco Gauff on Australian Open scheduling

Coco Gauff said after her Australian Open first-round win on Monday that 10-time champion Novak Djokovic deserves to play on the prime time slot.

The reigning US Open champion opened her campaign at Melbourne Park with a straight-set win over Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, conceding only three games. After a 6-3 first set, Gauff ran away with the match with a bagel second set to book her place in the next round.

In her post-match press conference, the young American was asked about the scheduling of night-time matches at this year's Australian Open. She said that she would prefer to be out on court in the first match of the session, preferably before a men's match, which tends to be longer.

Nevertheless, Coco Gauff understands why the organisers would have someone like Novak Djokovic take that slot. She said:

"Yeah, I was watching Novak's match last night. I didn't know the player that he was playing. So I think the thought process was, you know, maybe usually he'll win his first round in pretty quick straight sets.

"So I think that's why they put Aryna [Sabalenka] after, thinking she would go on sooner. It ended up being like a three, I don't know, a three-hours-ish, maybe longer, match. I went to sleep before it was finished."

Gauff continued:

"Usually I always would, if I'm going to play night, I always would like to play the first night match, because usually typically the women's, our longest match is three hours usually. And then the men's, it can go minimum three or minimum two. At least you know with three sets it's going to be at least two hours, and that's even fast. With an average match, it's like three and a half.

"I personally, if I'm the women's match at night, I would love to play the first night match and not the second one. I would like to see that. But at the same time it's tough with also Novak being, you know, I don't know, he's won this more times than I can count. You know, putting him not on the prime slot, which is probably the 7:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. slot."

Coco Gauff will take on Caroline Dolehide on Wednesday for a place in the third round.

---

Reigning US Open champions Coco Gauff and Novak Djokovic off to contrasting starts at Australian Open

Novak Djokovic

The two reigning US Open champions experienced contrasting starts to their Australian Open campaign.

While Coco Gauff hardly broke a sweat in sealing her berth in the next round, things weren't that simple for the reigning Flushing Meadows champion Novak Djokovic.

The Serb, who has won the last four Australian Open titles he has competed in, needed four sets to see off an inspired fightback from qualifier Dino Prizmic on Sunday night. He eventually won the match 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4.

Djokovic, who is looking for a record 25th Grand Slam singles title this fortnight, will take on Alexei Popyrin next on Tuesday.