Dan Evans scurries to 40-15 before patting a forehand wide. He slings down a leaping serve that Cam Norrie can only guide back to mid-court, and Evans puts it away to hold.

Dan Evans dices a backhand long from beyond the baseline, before Cameron Norrie does similar.

15-15.

So Dan Evans, the British number one, serving to stay in the opening set...

Double fault from Cam Norrie. 30-30. Dan Evans reaches into the courtside bag for a quick dab of his towel. He's like a ball of energy, always chantering or prowling the baseline between points.

Norrie recovers well and Evans pokes long with a backhand as the British number three holds.

Evans rattles to a quick hold and it's met with a "come on, Dan" from the stands.

Cameron Norrie serves up his third ace of the day, and then has Dan Evans scuttling to the front of the court to try and pick up a drop shot. 40-0.

Back on the baseline, Evans gets control of the next rally and zings a forehand winner down the line. Lovely shot, but the only blemish as Norrie holds.

Elsewhere, defending champion Sofia Kenin made a nervous start to her Australian Open defence, while former winner Victoria Azarenka was knocked out after seeming to struggle with her breathing.

American Kenin was in tears before a 7-5 6-4 win over Australian wildcard Maddison Inglis.

"I felt a little bit [of] pressure," the 22-year-old said. "I obviously am tight. I wasn't there 100% mentally."

Meanwhile, Azarenka needed an inhaler in a 7-5 6-4 defeat by Jessica Pegula.

Kenin is joined in the next round by Garbine Muguruza, whom she beat in last year's final, after the Spaniard's comfortable 6-4 6-0 win over Margarita Gasparyan, while 11th seed Belinda Bencic and former semi-finalist Elise Mertens also advanced.

Image source, EPA

A wrist-rattler of a serve from Dan Evans and he holds from a break point down.

Dan Evans gets the better of a 21-stroke exchange, although he's still shooting Norrie - and the smattering of fans, his coach, anyone in range - some icy glances.

The British number one pops an effort long after another enduring baseline rally and we're back at deuce.

Cameron Norrie, sun block dusted on his cheeks like a Test cricketer, is enjoying this.

Dan Evans isn't. He screams towards his box after dicing another groundstroke long and giving Norrie the chance to break for a second time in this opening set.

Evans manages to channel that frustration into a fierce forehand off the next point to make it deuce.

Throngs of excited fans walking along the Yarra River in the summer sun turns into a hubbub of noise and colour inside Melbourne Park on the opening day of the Australian Open. In normal times.

This year, however, players and fans alike are simply grateful there is even an Australian Open going on at all.

Not all Melburnians are so happy though. Many fans are still said to be "nervous" about going to the tournament, despite up to 30,000 allowed to attend each day.

Many are said to have been "scarred" by the some of world's toughest restrictions imposed in the city and across Australia.

Read more here about a very different Australian Open experience on day one.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Four big service points in a row for Cameron Norrie as he fights back to hold serve and consolidate that break.

Well, Dan Evans has decided he wasn't happy about being broken like that.

He ups the intensity a touch and prods his way to 0-30, before Cameron Norrie sizzles down an ace and levels up with another meaty serve.

Image source, Getty Images

Unfortunately there has already been a British casualty in Melbourne.

Katie Boulter went into her first Grand Slam since last year's Australian Open full of confidence, but lost in straight sets against Russia's former world number 10 Daria Kasatkina on day one.

Boulter, ranked 371 but using her protected ranking in Melbourne, saved four match points before succumbing in a 6-1 6-4 defeat.

"I put a lot of pressure on myself when really there was absolutely no need to," Boulter said.

"I felt like I never really got going, I felt quite uncomfortable out on the court. I'm pretty upset about it."

Norrie fires the first long off a leaping Evans second serve. Two more chances to come...

And this one he takes!

Good stuff from the 25-year-old, forcing Evans deep and wide and in the end the British number one pats a backhand off target.

Dan Evans lobs down a double fault and that gives Cam Norrie the mini break at 0-30.

Evans then rattles a forehand into the tape and there's a big chance for the British number three here.

Three break points.

And Cameron Norrie holds, good resilience from the world number 69 to fend off that break. All square and on serve after two games in this one.

Early chance for a break from the British number one.

Cameron Norrie dishes up a dancing second serve to stave it off, with Dan Evans slicing into the net.

Dan Evans just has a little feel of his groin after stretching for a Cameron Norrie serve that sent him wide. Norrie gets the point, but Evans looks to be moving OK again and forces his fellow Brit long off the next 15-15.