MELBOURNE, Aus. - As day one of the Australian Open finally got underway, the talk about the favorites, the impending hot weather and the differing court speeds took a back seat to what was a scintillating day of tennis. A Monday day record of 47,491  people strolled through the gates of Melbourne Park as blue skies greeted fans eager to see quality tennis. There were a number of notable round one matches on offer that would go a long way to demonstrating the stage of their careers where each respective player was.

First up on Margaret Court Arena was Venus Williams againast Russian 22nd seed Ekaterina Makarova in a match that was predicted to go down to the wire. It didn’t disappoint as the American veteran and the wiry Russian battled it out in a 149-minute slug fest that was, for the most part, on the older Williams sister’s racquet.

Coming into the Australian Open with the best lead-up tournament result for quite some time (finalist in Auckland), Williams exuded confidence in the first set. She combined hard hitting with great scrambling to take the first set 6-2 in 31 minutes, when she seemed rather untroubled by her younger opponent. That’s about where the good fortune ended for Williams. Not only did a vocal fan mistake her for her younger sister Serena, but the hot, breezy conditions appeared to wear her down as the Russian found her game. Williams’ typically aggressive game kept her in the match, but it brought with it a huge number of unforced errors as the last two sets rendered 46 of them.

After being outplayed in the second set, the third set still seemed like it would eventually roll Williams’ way as she struck 19 winners and scrambled well to defend against Makarova, who was using every angle possible to outflank Williams. The Russian’s tighter game bore fruit as she sealed a 2-6 6-4 6-4 win against her more decorated opponent.

When asked about the inconsistencies in her game, Williams was blunt in her appraisal. “I think she played really well, and I think just my level was a little bit too up and down,” she said. “I think my error count was a little high.”

Williams will be disappointed in her first-round loss, since she would have felt the match was on her racquet. The loss must also ask serious questions about Venus Williams’ fitness and whether she may endure another year riddled with injuries and tough first-round losses.

Another notable match of day one was the classy Serb Ana Ivanovic, who took on the Netherlands’ 94th-ranked ranked Kiki Bertens. Played under Hisense Arena, Ivanovic was heavily favored to move into the second round. But, while she started strongly, a poor serving display from both players ensured an evenly fought contest. Coming off her 12th career singles title in Auckland, Ivanovic hit the ball cleanly and troubled the Dutchwoman with her ground strokes. However, inconsistencies from the Serb allowed Bertens back in the game in the second set.

Just as Bertens looked like forcing the game to a third set, the youngster wilted in the notorious Melbourne heat, needing a medical time-out to settle and ensure she could continue. This pause in the game not only halted her momentum but gave Ivanovic time to gather her composure. With the second set on a knife’s edge, Bertens could not make the shots at the crucial times, and this contributed to her downfall as she made 35 unforced errors to Ivanovic’s 22. Considering the high error rate, it was fitting that a Bertens volley error came on match point and sealed a 6-4 6-4 win for Ivanovic.

After Auckland, the crowd would have expected Ivanovic to stamp her authority on her first round match with a convincing win against a much lower-ranked opponent. Ivanovic, however, failed to really build on any momentum from her tournament win in Auckland and left the crowd still pondering as to whether she has the mental strength to make it deep into another grand slam. She will expect and need a much improved performance against Germany’s Annika Beck if she is to progress to a potential third-round meeting with Aussie favorite Samantha Stosur.

In a third notable encounter, Spanish third seed David Ferrer took on Columbian Alejandro Gonzalez on Rod Laver Arena. Ferrer, who is expected to fly under the radar at this tournament, stamped his authority on the match by racing out to a 5-0 lead in the first set after just 18 minutes. The ever consistent Spaniard relented with his accuracy, however, as he coughed up three easy games before eventually sealing the set 6-3.

Neither players reached great heights as the match ebbed and flowed throughout each set. Ferrer would race out to a lead before surrendering an easy break and allowing Gonzalez back into the set before eventually sealing each set. Ferrer appeared comfortable on the baseline, not appearing to waver from his reliable game and trusting his ability to outrun his opponent. In a typical but not overwhelming win, Ferrer will be content with his first round 6-3 6-4 6-4 result but know that better players and harder rounds await in his side of the draw, where he will be confident he can record at least a quarterfinal appearance. Although putting in a solid performance against a much lesser opponent, the Spaniard failed to dispel any doubts over his form after a poor loss in Auckland last week.

Despite their erratic patches, though, Ivanovic and Ferrer earned second chances to improve by staying alive in the 2014 Australian Open.  Meanwhile, a woman who has achieved much more than either of them could not string together enough consistency to earn that second chance.