Millman wins but Kokkinakis bounced
Pumped up after surprisingly marching in the opening ceremony, Australia's John Millman tennis career hit a new high with an Olympic first in his opening singles match in Rio.
While countrymen Thanasi Kokkinakis and Jordan Thompson were first round casualties, Millman etched his name in the record books as the first tennis player to register a "double bagel" in the sport's Olympic history.
Millman steamrolled his way to a 6-0 6-0 first round win in 50 minutes over hapless Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis.
It is the first time in singles or doubles tennis at the Olympics that a player has been beaten without winning a game.
The world No.75, Millman said his entry in the Olympic record books hadn't sunk in.
"To play in an Olympic Games is special; to be put in the record books is ridiculous," Millman said.
"I've played on all different stages but I've never represented my country and that was a really special moment, one of the biggest of my career.
"To play for your country at the Olympic games, that's as good as it gets.
While most athletes who competed this weekend skipped the drawn-out opening ceremony, Millman marched with the Australian team at Maracana Stadium despite an early match.
He said he harnessed the emotion he felt as part of the Olympic team to spur him on in his clash with Berankis.
"I was in-and-out but I couldn't miss the march," the 27-year-old Queenslander said.
"That was a really stirring moment for me.
"It's hard to explain the emotions I got walking into that stadium, and no doubt that carried over to today.
"I was pumped up from the word go."
Millman had to fight his way back up the rankings after major shoulder surgery at the end of 2013 and said the hard-court conditions and balls at the Rio venue suited his game.
He will be tested in the second round against Japan's fourth seed and world No.6 Kei Nishikori.
While Millman was all smiles, Kokkinakis fell to Portugal's Gastao Elias in two tiebreak sets and Thompson was eliminated by Great Britain's Kyle Edmunds 6-4 6-2.
Kokkinakis arrived in Rio not having played a tournament since October following shoulder surgery. His preparation was further hampered when his racquet bag was delayed for two days.
The 20-year-old battled hard in the heat before going down 7-6 (7-4) 7-6 (7-3).
It could have been different for a frustrated Kokkinakis who had two set points to take the first set but believed two umpiring calls unluckily went against him.
He fought back from a break down in the second but Elias was better on the big points.
"It was just frustrating because I believe I should have won that match," he said. "I felt like I was the better player.
"In the big points I was just not quite good enough."
It was an ordinary night for Australia in the doubles with all three teams losing first round clashes.
Sam Stosur and Daria Gavrilova pushed Switzerland's Martina Hingis and Timea Bacsinzsky to three sets; sisters Anastasia and Arina Rodionova went down in straight sets to Russians Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina; and Chris Guccione and John Peers were also edged in two sets by Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro and Maximo Gonzalez.
