Lack of match fitness costs Konta, Tomljanovic storms through first round

Ons Jabeur d. Johanna Konta  6-4, 6-2; Karolina Pliskova d. Kristina Mladenovic 6-1, 7-5; Ajla Tomljanovic d. Anastasija Sevastova 6-1, 6-1

It was more glass half full than glass half empty for Johanna Konta after Great Britain's leading women's player left Australia without a win but successfully returned to the tour after battling a knee injury.

"I think ultimately the main thing was to start playing again, and I am. And how I physically felt out there is obviously a massive tick for me compared to where I was in September of last year," said the world No.13.

A former Australian Open semi-finalist, Konta had a fruitful 2019 season where she reached the final four at Roland Garros and quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the US Open.

But the 28-year-old was stopped in her tracks after Flushing Meadows as the knee complaint, which first flared at the start of the year, eventually sidelined her.

Konta came back at the Brisbane International earlier this year but her time at Melbourne Park ended in the first round on Tuesday when she went down to Tunisia's Ons Jabeur 6-4, 6-2.

"Before Brisbane, I had been out for almost, yeah, four, four-and-a-half months. So it's been quite a bit of time, not far off getting a protected ranking," Konta said.

"I think giving myself that time to find a level that I want to play is going to be important. And, yeah, I mean, I also played a very good opponent [on Tuesday]."

One of Ashleigh Barty's main threats at the Open, world No.2 Karolina Pliskova, also advanced on Tuesday after a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Frenchwoman Kristina Mladenovic while Australia's second highest ranked woman, Ajla Tomljanovic, produced a dominant performance to defeat Latvian 31st seed Anastasija Sevastova, 6-1, 6-1, in one hour and 17 minutes.

Tomljanovic will now meet Spain's Garbine Muguruza, who produced a stunning turnaround to defeat American qualifier Shelby Rogers, 0-6, 6-1, 6-0.

It's Tomljanovic's first time beyond the first round in Melbourne since 2015 when she was representing Croatia. The 26-year-old put those early exits down to "a couple of tough draws"

"This is one of my best wins quality-wise in a slam, first round. Felt really good to be out there. I think from the first point, I felt ready. Felt like I was hitting the ball clean," she said.

"Honestly, it felt way, way closer than one and one, especially in the second set.

"I was gassing a little bit at two-love. I was really happy to close it out."

Other leading lights to progress on Tuesday included Croatia's Donna Vekic, who eliminated Maria Sharapova, sixth seed Belinda Bencic, American world No.11 Madison Keys, her compatriot Alison Riske, former French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko and Greece's Maria Sakkari.

Konta was comfortable with the timing of her return at the start of a new season.

"I knew that by taking a decision to come play here, I was opening myself up to potentially it not going well or for it to be difficult," she said.

Johanna Konta leaves the court after her first-round loss to Ons Jabeur.Credit: AAP

"It's always difficult to come back after not playing a certain amount of time. But what was good today was my knee felt quite good, and it was actually even better than Brisbane. That's a very positive thing for me, especially for where I was in September.

"Definitely that's a big positive, and something that I'm very pleased about moving forward."

Konta had contemplated not coming to Australia at all. "It was part of the discussion. It was as much part of it as coming here, so it wasn't so much of deciding to come or not come. It was kind of being open to all eventualities. I was also prepared that when I came out that we will see also when I'm out here.

"There was no indication for me not to play. But equally my return-to-play protocol and things like that I didn't complete back home. I completed here. So that was a decision I took with my team and how I felt to be able to do that."