Lorenzo Sonego defeated Stan Wawrinka 6–4, 5–7, 7–5, 7–5 in the first round of the Australian Open on hard court, confirming his status as pre-match favourite with odds of 1.48 to Wawrinka's 2.88. The Italian controlled much of the encounter, claiming the opening set decisively before Wawrinka mounted a brief challenge in the second, levelling the match at one set apiece. Sonego regained momentum thereafter, taking the third set in a tighter affair before closing out the fourth to secure a straight-sets victory in terms of set count. The result advances Sonego into the second round and maintains his competitive standing in the early stages of the tournament.