In the group of tennis grandees there were the best racket masters of Uzbekistan - Akgul Amanmuradova, Iroda Tulyaganova, Denis Istomin and Farrukh Dustov. The first three have deserved the right to be presented in the basic grid of competitions by the last year’s successes. Akgul – by rising in the WTA rating to the 95th position, and Iroda and Denis – by winning the champions titles of the continent. Dustov, on the other hand, had to try his luck in the qualifying tournament. However the Greek Konstantinos Economidis has disabled Farrukh to compete for the post of the strongest player - 6/3, 6/4.

Amanmuradova also distressed the fans: fortune has chosen her competitor, a talented Belarus tennis player Victoria Azarenka – the finalist of the last year’s Tashkent Open, seeded 25th in Melbourne. The difference of 70 stops in the rating is very essential, as was reflected in the result of the match - 2/6, 5/7.

Tulyaganova was also unlucky – she had to play with the 31st racket of the tournament Sania Mirza from India. And here the success was also on the favorite’s side: Sania Mirza has won - 6/4, 6/2.

Istomin has managed to stand for fellow countrymen: he has met with Slovak Lukas Lacko who has “loosened up” in the qualifying tournament. The captain of the national team of Uzbekistan Peter Lebed said that Istomin had gained a good form for the Australian Open. Denis has confirmed his estimation: in the game with Lacko his nerves were stronger, and physical preparation was better. And after the extremely strained second and the third sets he has literally crushed the opponent in the fourth - 6/3, 6/7 (1), 7/6 (4), 6/1.

Uzbek tennis player, who a year ago played here with Roger Federer, has to play with the main hope of Australia - the ex-first racket of the world Lleyton Hewitt.