Home town favourite Thanasi Kokkinakis has come through a tough examination before wrapping up a day of success for Australian players at the Adelaide International.
Kokkinakis, winner of the event back in 2022, reckoned he was glad to be back on his favourite court at Memorial Drive as he negotiated a tricky first round date with Japanese left-hander Yoshihito Nishioka.
His 6-3 3-6 6-3 victory, completed just before midnight on Monday, sealed a fine day for home players with Chris O'Connell earlier having been left breathing easier after edging out Frenchman Arthur Rinderknech to avert a rankings disaster.
Kokkinakis, who'd beaten Rinderknech in that 2022 final, had an uneven contest, playing lights-out tennis in the first set but then suffering a lapse of concentration in the second when he had seemed in total control.
He then regrouped in the decider, breaking twice for a 5-1 lead before another fightback from the Japanese, who also saved three match points at 5-3 down before Kokkinakis finally prevailed after two hours 10 minutes, satisfied with his 41 winners and 15 aces.
"It's definitely my favourite court," Adelaide's world No.77 told the crowd afterwards.
After failing to take advantage of early break-point chances in the second set, Kokkinakis reflected with a smile: "I never like when it's going too well, because I'm just kind of waiting for something bad to happen - and it kind of did.
"It could have been maybe a straight-sets match -- but that's tennis -- and he fought and played some good tennis. Then you guys lifted me in that third set."
Earlier, O'Connell had defeated Rinderknech 7-5 7-6 (7-5) in a first-round scrap, staving off a rankings freefall after making the quarter-finals last year at Memorial Drive.
He had stood to drop considerably from his position comfortably inside the world's top 70 - and the grand slam cut-off mark - with an early exit in the South Australian capital.
But the 30-year-old withstood a serving barrage and recovered from a mini break down in the second-set tiebreak to prevail 7-5 7-6 (7-5) to post his first win of a frustrating summer.
"I had a tough match in Brisbane - had a match point, so that hurt," O'Connell said of his three-sets loss in the first round in Queensland to American Alex Michelsen.
"So first match of the year, getting your first win of the year is always very helpful."
The Kokkinakis and O'Connell wins came after Australian pair James Duckworth and Adam Walton scraped into the main draw as the tournament lost a drawcard duo on the opening day.
Defending champion Jiri Lehecka pulled out, citing fatigue.
The Czech won the Brisbane International on Sunday night, for his second ATP title, when American Reilly Opelka quit due to a back injury inside 15 minutes of the final.
Lehecka's countryman and Adelaide third seed Tomas Machac was also was a late scratching in South Australia.
A left knee ailment forced Machac out of the lead-in tournament to the Australian Open starting on Sunday in Melbourne.
The Adelaide field is headlined by America's world No.12 Tommy Paul as the top seed.
Walton and Duckworth advanced to the main draw after winning all-Australian duels in the final phase of qualifying.
Duckworth downed wildcard Jacob Bradshaw 6-2 6-2, and Walton secured a 1-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 comeback win over Rinky Hijikata.
