Former Australian Open finalist Marin Čilić produced a dominant performance to beat Germany’s Daniel Altmaier 6-0, 6-0, 7-6 in the first round at Melbourne Park.
The 37-year-old Croatian won the first 12 games without trouble and came close to achieving a rare “triple bagel”. Altmaier improved in the third set and forced a tie-break, but Čilić recovered well to seal the victory.
Čilić, who was runner-up in Melbourne in 2018, had to save an early break point in the third set. Altmaier briefly found form and ended a long run of lost games, but Čilić stayed calm and closed out the match.
Stan Wawrinka also progressed to the second round after coming from a set down to beat Serbia’s Laslo Djere 5-7, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6.
The 40-year-old Swiss player, also a former Australian Open champion, is playing his final tournament in Melbourne after confirming that 2026 will be his last season on the professional tour.
