Four local stars on the scrapheap after day one at Australian Open, as Daria Saville suffers more Grand Slam headaches

Veteran Daria Saville has suffered more Grand Slam heartbreak as she joined a local exodus on the first day of the Australian Open.

Queensland's Saville and Adam Walton were still in action after midnight on a rainy day at Melbourne Park, but both fell short as Omar Jasika and Li Tu were previous victims at home.

Saville fell to Russian world number 73 Anna Blinkova, losing 1-6, 6-4, 7-5, while Walton was on the wrong end of a marathon match against Frenchman Quentin Halys, losing 4-6, 4 -6, 6-4, 7-6. (7-4) 7-5.

Saville, struggling to recover from serious knee and Achilles tendon injuries, was contemplating retirement after her first-round exit at the US Open last year and was desperate for a morale-boosting victory after falling to 112th in the world. .

She showed she still has a lot to give in a spirited performance at Margaret Court Arena, but left Blinkova free, and she was only able to convert three of 15 break point opportunities.

After sweeping the first set, 3-3 in the second, the former Australian number one had four break points but could not move her rival.

It was a tough day for Daria Saville (pictured), who was knocked out of the first round of the Australian Open by Anna Blinkova.

Omar Jasika (pictured) sent off by France's Hugo Gaston after a four-set thriller after his match was delayed more than six hours due to sudden storms that hit Melbourne.

In the third set he had another eight and could only pocket one.

That allowed her to go up 3-1, but then she let Blinkova tie it 3-3 after committing two double faults.

Trailing 5-6, Saville then lost serve for the Russian to conclude the match.

World number 90 Walton took a two-set lead over 74th-ranked Halys but the Frenchman fought his way into the match, which lasted three hours and 38 minutes.

Halys scored 31 aces and 88 winners, which were key to the victory.

Competing for his first major victory, local wild card Li Tu edged out 24th-seeded Czech Jiri Lehecka in their first-round clash.

The 28-year-old, born in Adelaide, was at his counterpunching best, winning the second set and forcing a tiebreaker in the fourth set, but was ultimately outplayed in the big moments to fall 6-1, 3-6, 6 -3, 7-. 6 (7-1).

Lehecka's opponent in the second round will be Frenchman Hugo Gaston, who eliminated former prodigy Omar Jasika 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Competing for his first major victory, local wild card Li Tu (pictured) edged out 24th-seeded Czech Jiri Lehecka in their first-round clash.

Walton was on the wrong end of a marathon match against Frenchman Quentin Halys, losing 4-6 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-4) 7-5

Heavy rain and storms forced the pair off Court 3 for more than six hours as Jasika threatened to turn the tide at the start of the second set.

When play began after 6:00 pm, the 27-year-old wild card immediately broke the world number 81 to send the tennis-deprived home crowd into a frenzy and took the second set.

But as the match progressed, Gaston acclimated to Jasika's unconventional play, crushing 55 winners to advance to the second round.

Jasika became the first player in 28 years to win the US Open men's singles and doubles titles in 2014, and two years later reached the second round of the Australian Open.

But his quest for success on the senior tour was derailed in late 2018 when he was banned for two years after testing positive for cocaine.

He spent time working in a factory and a bar, watching his peers' careers progress, before returning to the Grand Slam stage in Melbourne last year.

Jasika said she preferred to “stick to her line” when asked about the seriousness of the doping sanctions imposed on superstars Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner.

But the Victorian said he was extremely grateful to tournament organizers for his wild card and planned to use it to reinvest in his tennis.

“Hopefully, I can hit the personal best this year and try to break into the top 100,” he said.

“That's my goal, without a doubt.”