Drawcards Bernard Tomic and Cruz Hewitt have both made hasty exits from Melbourne Park after straight-set defeats in round one of Australian Open qualifying.
The veteran and the teen prospect had high hopes of a berth in the Open main draw but were unable to deliver victory in front of a swell of fans on Tuesday, with 32-year-old Tomic possibly bowing out for the last time.
Neither wanted to explain away their defeats, brushing the waiting media.
While Tomic and Hewitt flopped, new national No.1 Kim Birrell led the Australian women's charge into the second round.
One-time world No.17 Tomic, who has made the fourth round of the Open three times during his 11 appearances, was returning to play in Melbourne for the first time in three years.
But he was unable to repeat his 2021 feat, when he won three qualifying matches to earn a spot in the main draw and then reached the second round.
Ranked No.214, Tomic was trounced by Slovakian world No.128 Jozef Kovalik 6-3 6-1, his effort falling away in the second set after the first break.
Tomic last year earned just over $100,000 playing in Challenger and Future events in tennis backwaters.
Missing the chance to more than double that in one week, with a first-round Open loser collecting $132,000, he sought a guarantee he wouldn't be fined for declining a request from media post-match.
"Am I going to get a fine?," the former Wimbledon quarter-finalist asked a tennis official who told him interviews weren't obligatory.
"OK, I'm good."
Hewitt, the 16-year-old son of former world No.1 Lleyton, was quickly ushered from the court by security with a towel over his head following his 6-1 6-4 defeat by experienced Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili.
The promising youngster was given a wildcard into qualifying, attempting to reach the main draw of a major for the first time.
Watched by his father and former actress mother Bec in the stands, Hewitt had little answer to the firepower of Basilashvili, who has been ranked as high as world No.16 and is returning from a long-term arm injury.
But the teen found some rhythm in the second set and had a chance to draw level at 5-5.
He was up 0-30 on his opponent's serve but two backhand errors allowed Basilashvili to wrap up the game and match.
He also later declined to talk to the media about his performance.
Fresh off her first WTA 500 quarter-final showing in Brisbane, Birrell roared home to secure a 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 victory over Japan's Sara Saito.
Other Australian women to advance included veteran Arina Rodionova and Madison Inglis, who secured straight-set victories while Priscilla Hon and Astra Sharma both required three sets.
Ninth seed Birrell and Hon, who downed American Usue Maitane Arconada 6-3 6-7 (7-5) 6-4, will meet in the second round.
Wildcard Elena Micic joined the party, the 20-year-old edging out Russian Elena Pridankina 6-3 3-6 7-5 in a thrilling late match.
Among a packed program due to Monday's rain delay, Australian men's wildcards Dane Sweeny and Blake Ellis also progressed with wins over Frenchmen.
Sweeny overcame Pierre-Hugues Herbert 7-6 (7-4) 6-2, while Ellis swept past Antoine Escoffier 6-2 6-1 in 58 minutes.
But Marc Polmans, Pavle Marinkov, Hayden Jones, Matthew Dellavedova, Edward Winter, Jason Kubler, Jaimee Fourlis, Petra Hule and 17-year-old Alana Subasic all joined Tomic and Hewitt in bowing out.
