Mannarino eliminated by Khachanov in the first round of the Australian Open

After a complicated 2024 season, Adrian Mannarino was keen to get off to a flying start at the first Grand Slam tournament of 2025.

Beaten in the first round in Auckland last week by Mariano Navone, the 36-year-old Frenchman, down to 75th in the world, had a tough first round in Melbourne.

Back in the top 20, Karen Khachanov faced Mannarino and was looking to kick-start his year after losing to Kei Nishikori in Hong Kong.

Despite a tight first set, Mannarino was unable to hold on and eventually lost in just over 2 hours 15 minutes (7-6, 6-3, 6-3).

The Russian, seeded number 19, continues his journey in Melbourne.

The 2023 semi-finalist will face Gabriel Diallo, who defeated Luca Nardi in five sets (6-7, 7-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2).

The Canadian will be seeking revenge on Khachanov after losing to him in the final in Almaty at the end of last season.

As for Mannarino, he'll be guaranteed to leave the top 100 at the end of the tournament. Still ranked 17th in the world at the start of 2024, the Frenchman was unable to defend the points from last year's round of 16.