While the top American man went down, some of his compatriots made promising statements.
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Many of the home hopes in Melbourne have exceeded modest expectations so far.
The Swiss teenager and junior star took a step forward by defeating a canny 43-year-old veteran.
Two women on the comeback trail from injury saw on Monday how far they still have to go.
The world No. 1 and Australian home favorite highlight the best matches to watch on Tuesday at the Australian Open.
The world No. 3 and the American No. 2 face powerful but inconsistent opponents as the 2014 Australian Open campaigns begin.
Even in defeat, Jordan Thompson shone, while David Ferrer and Dominic Thiem also produced solid efforts.
Madison Keys and Sam Querrey ranked among the Americans who gritted out victories as main-draw play began.
One former No. 1 survived, as did the tireless Spaniard, but another former No. 1 was less fortunate.
Unusually fast courts at the Australian Open have drawn support from Roger Federer and Samantha Stosur. Rafael Nadal and Maria Sharapova? Not so much.
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