Australian Open live updates: Novak Djokovic and four local hopes ...

It's Chris vs Cris, with 71st-ranked Christopher O'Connell up against Chile's Cristian Garin out on Court 3.

The Aussie qualifier takes the fourth set against Francisco Cerundolo 6-2 and charges into a deciding fifth set.

Not only that, he broke to win the fourth, so he'll have the benefit of serving first in the decider.

For two weeks every summer, Australia is the centre of the sporting universe.

The Australian Open fortnight provides a rare opportunity for the country to throw open its arms to the world and for the world to sit back, observe and, occasionally, judge.

In ABC TV documentary Australia's Open, Tennis Australia chief executive Craig Tiley says the Open allows Australia to be "showcased in every country in the world".

"It would cost you billions to buy that ad time to equate to that same kind of exposure."

That marketing value gives the impression of a passionately welcoming and supportive sporting public in an idyllic, sun-baked paradise — an enviable position to be in.

But it wasn't always like this.

And, although undoubtedly Australia is all of those things and more, there is another side to the coin that recent Australian Opens have exposed.

Read Simon Smale's piece below, or watch the documentary on iview.

The Australian qualifier is into a fourth set against Argentina's Francisco Cerundolo.

Sweeyn won the first 6-3, but Cerundolo won the second and third 6-3, 6-4 to take all the momentum into the fourth.

Russian Andrey Rublev starts his tournament against Brazil's Thiago Seyboth Wild.

Rublev made the quarterfinals for the second time here last year and is a nine-time major quarterfinalist without ever reaching the semis.

Could this be the year he breaks through to the final four?

The young Italian superstar has dispatched Dutchman Botic van de Zandschulp in 154 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.

The 22-year-old gets the win 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 with Aussie coach Darren Cahill in his box.

"It's good to have him, he gives a lot of confidence a lot of calmness to the team. For the whole team is really good."

Greek eighth seed Maria Sakkari is next up on centre court.

The world number 10 and ninth seed lets out a cry of relief as much as joy after just escaping a tough tussle with Japan's Mai Hontama.

The 122nd-ranked wildcard won the first set and was up a break in the second before Krejčíková upped her game to get the win 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 in two-and-a-half hours.

"I never let go, I never give up. I'm really happy that I'm through.

"The first rounds are difficult."

Aussie qualifier Dane Sweeny is tied at one set apiece with Francisco Cerundolo on John Cain Arena after Argentinian matched him  by winning the second 6-3.

World number 10 Barbora Krejčíková may be a French Open champion and the world number 10, but she's right up against it against 122nd-ranked wildcard Mai Hontama.

Krejčíková juuuuuuuust held serve to reach 3-2 on serve in the third and final set, but she's called for the trainer and taken a medical timeout.

She's getting treatment on her right ankle, including cutting off all the strapping she already had on there. Not sure if this is a structural thing or re-dressing a blister. Looks like maybe the latter.

Spain's Carlos Alcaraz has been out on the practice courts today.

The 2023 Wimbledon champion and 2022 US Open winner is up against Richard Gasquet in the first round.

Fun fact: Alcaraz wasn't even born when Gasquet made his Australian Open debut back in 2003.

Qualifier Dane Sweeny is up against 22nd-seeded Argentinian Francisco Cerundolo on John Cain Arena.

Australian wildcard Adam Walton has been knocked out of the Australian Open, losing to Matteo Arnaldi 7-6(7/5), 6-2, 6-4.

Walton will be better for the run in his first major tournament, but he was outclassed today.

Arnaldi served 16 aces to 1, many of them coming at clutch moments, including on match point. He also crushed a whopping 51 winners to Walton's 21.

Credit to Arnaldi, who eased his way into the match and got better as it went on.

The Italian is only 22 years old and already ranked 41st in the world.

Barbora Krejčíková looked at real risk of being a victim of the first upset of the tournament, but she's hit back against wildcard Mai Hontama.

Down a break in the second set after dropping the first, Krejčíková stormed back to with it 6-4 and send it to a decider.

Mai has gone off the court for a break after that set, taking her whole kit with her, so maybe a bathroom break and a wardrobe change as things warm up a bit in Melbourne.

Matteo Arnaldi is up a break in the third set.

Australian wildcard Adam Walton is serving to keep the match going for at least one more game at 3-5.

Ninth seed Barbora Krejčíková has dropped the first set and is down a break in the second to Japanese wildcard Mai Hontama.

Hontama is 24 years old, ranked outside the top 100 and is playing just her second grand slam tournament.

After the first-set tie-break, Matteo Arnaldi has won the second 6-2 more simply.

Arnaldi broke twice to get out to a 5-1 lead.

Walton saved one set point at 5-2, but couldn't do it again and now the 24-year-old is in a battle to stay in the match.

You might remember the Canadian 32nd seed as the 19-year-old who reached the final of the US Open in 2021.

The leftie has just beaten 17-year-old Czech Sara Bejlek 7-6(7/5), 6-2.

Fernandez says she's going to dip into some Reacher (that show looks hilariously cheesy) and some crocheting after her opening-round win.

Fernandez has never made it past the second round at the Australian Open. Will she do it in her fifth trip to Melbourne?

We're obviously, completely impartially, backing Adam Walton on Kia Arena.

But this volley from Matteo Arnaldi is just beautiful to watch…

Congratulations to Russian world number 93 Kamilla Rakhimova.

She beat American Emina Bektas in straight sets out on Court 6.

Roger Federer is retired and Rafael Nadal's injuries are keeping him away for now, but the Australian Open has always been Novak Djokovic's domain.

He's still the champ until someone takes the trophy from him (he hasn't lost a match here since 2018), but the next gen know he's human.

Although Djokovic was the most dominant player in 2023, the one thing the year did show was that the really young stars on the ATP Tour do not fear him.

Of his seven losses in 2023, five were to players under the age of 22.

"We see this as a hunting year. We go in every tournament and try our best and see what we can catch," 22-year-old Jannik Sinner said.

Sinner, the fourth seed in Melbourne, beat Djokovic twice late last year — at the ATP Finals and the Davis Cup.