This archive report was first published on 5 January 2022.
On Wednesday, January 5, 2022, Simona Halep, the 30th-ranked tennis player in the world, marked her return to the court after a long break, defeating Destanee Aiava of Australia in the first round of the Melbourne Summer Set tournament.
Halep's 6-4, 6-2 victory set her up for a second-round clash against fellow Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
With top women players competing in Adelaide this week, Halep and top seed Naomi Osaka are the main drawcards at the Melbourne tournament, held at Melbourne Park, the home of the Australian Open.
Osaka secured her second-round spot with a win over Alize Cornet on Tuesday, and the two are favored to meet in this week's final.
