Australian Open wildcards Talia Gibson, James McCabe and Tristan Schoolkate win first round matches

After serving a fault on match point, Australian wildcard Talia Gibson took half a beat to compose herself before her second serve.

She then calmly closed out the point, defeating Türkiye's Zeynep Sönmez 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 in the first-round Australian Open clash.

The 20-year-old then lifted her hands to her head in what looked like a mixture of disbelief, relief and joy.

Gibson said she was "over the moon" to reach the second round of a grand slam for the first time.

"It feels amazing," she said in her on-court interview.

"[I'm] lost for words. Really, really, really happy."

She tried not to think about the score and just play point-by-point.

It's a strategy that clearly worked.

After dropping the first set, Gibson rallied to claim the second set in a tie-break, before taking the final set in convincing fashion.

She is among a cohort of young Australian women wildcards making waves ahead of this tournament, including 16-year-old Emerson Jones and 18-year-old Maya Joint.

Can this Aussie teen cause another upset at the Australian Open? Photo shows Maya Joint of Australia talks to the media. Ash Barty left a gap of Australian talent in women's tennis after her shock announcement over two years ago. There's optimism these teenagers could help fill it.

Both teenagers were handed difficult first-round assignments, with Joint losing her match against 2024 US Open finalist Jessica Pegula.

Jones is set to face former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina.

Gibson said she'd be cheering on.

"Just have a lot of belief in yourself," she said.

"I think everyone has their own journey. They're going to achieve things at different points in their career, but at the end of the day, just trust the work that you have done and if you keep working hard, the results will come with that."

Gibson put her victory down to "a lot of hard work, a lot of hours" — but added the home court advantage also played a role.

"The Aussie crowds are always so amazing. You're always able to get so much energy from them wherever you are."

She next faces 11th seed Paula Badosa.

But she isn't daunted by the prospect.

"I think it's such an amazing opportunity, it's not every day for me that I get the opportunity to play someone like her, so I'm just really excited and looking forward to just giving it a crack and doing the best I can."

McCabe through in three sets

Fellow Aussie wildcard James McCabe came through his first-round match in stellar fashion.

Ranked 258 in the world, McCabe took down Spanish qualifier Martin Landaluce in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.

James McCabe celebrates winning against Martin Landaluce of Spain. (Getty: Hannah Peters)

The Aussie clinched victory with retired dual internationalist Sonny Bill Williams sitting in his corner.

"I've known Sonny ever since I was a kid. We're really close," McCabe said.

"Sonny's like a brother to me."

While he valued Williams's experience and words of wisdom, McCabe said tennis was a different beast, and highly unpredictable.

Born in the Philippines, the 21-year-old moved to Australia as a two-month-old baby and grew up in an apartment complex in the Sydney suburb of Rockdale.

It had a tennis court and a swimming pool. The young McCabe learned to master both domains.

He could rally the ball as a two-and-a-half-year-old, and also was a junior national champion in swimming.

McCabe is also a skilled flautist, having played since the age of six, and also plays the piano and sings.

His childhood involved a gruelling schedule of swimming training, music practice and choir well into his teen years.

"It was quite tough … it definitely builds character, and builds strength," he said.

He "dropped the racquets" when he was 10, but picked up the sport again when he was 15 and had some success at the junior national level, so chose it as his career path.

His next match is against Alex Michelsen, who defeated 11th seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in a four-set upset.

Michelsen also beat McCabe in the first round of the Australian Open last year, something the Australian hopes to avenge.

"It's going to be a battle, I'm looking forward to it."

"I'm looking forward to the new chapter in my life and new chapter in my tennis.

"Hopefully I can keep rising."

Schoolkate wins to face Sinner

Tristan Schoolkate has built on his success late last year at the US Open to triumph in the first round at Melbourne Park.

Also granted a wildcard into the main draw, Schoolkate lost the first set to Japan's Taro Daniel, but came back to win 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/4), 6-1, 6-4.

Tristan Schoolkate dropped the first set against a familiar foe, but eventually won in four sets. (Getty: Kelly Defina)

Daniel was also his opponent in the first round at the US Open last year — a match Schoolkate won in an epic five sets.

The big-serving Schoolkate served 23 aces to secure the victory on Monday.

He said it wasn't easy to come back after losing the first set after having set points.

"But [I'm] very happy with the way I turned that around and found my way in the second set," he said.

"Glad I didn't have to come back from two sets down."

He said playing in front of a supportive home crowd was a "different feeling".

"It's unbelievable. Pretty cool," he said.

"It's a special place to play."

Schoolkate faces a formidable second-round opponent in world number one Jannik Sinner, who is striving to defend his Australian Open title.

The 23-year-old Australian's focus for the year will be on building up his game.

"I just want to keep giving myself the best chance every time I step out there."

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