Point made. Tennis stars like Sinner, Swiatek and Coco Gauff loved the 1-point Australian Open prep

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — The 1 Point Slam isn’t likely to be a one-hit wonder.

The first question to Jannik Sinner in the official pre-tournament news conference Friday was, jokingly, asked how he could expect an Australian Open three-peat if he couldn’t beat an amateur in a one-point exhibition.

“Yeah, hopefully I have a bit more control over three of five sets!” Sinner said.

The second question also related to the pressure of the instant success or failure nature of the competition that featured a mix of stars against club players, women against men and was ultimately won by little-known local amateur Jordan Smith at a sold-out Rod Laver Arena.

The format included a rock, paper and scissors contest to see who served in the one-point match.

“I was not a big fan in the beginning but when you are there and playing and seeing other matches play, it was so fun,” he said. “To (have a) packed stadium before the main event, it’s great.”

He also loved the against-all-odds result.

“There was no better ending, I would say, especially for the first edition, that an amateur wins,” he said. “He really needs it in a very positive way.”

Game show

The million-dollar winner-takes-all game show-style finals on Wednesday captivated the seasoned pros as much as the crowd. Roger Federer said he was glued to it and would have enjoyed a go.

And it was one of the topics of the day as world’s leading tennis players appeared in news conferences two days before the season-opening major starts on Sunday.

Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova were among the stars of the women’s tour who loved it.

The stressful part for the stars was the unknown.

“It was something different …. because you’re not warm, you wait 40 minutes, and then you just play maybe one point or you don’t even play because someone makes a mistake,” Sinner, the two-time defending Australian Open champion, said. “It was something fun to play, but mostly also to watch.”

Swiatek was prepared

Unlike Sinner, Swiatek did warm up for it — “I was ready,” she said — and she took out a couple of the men. To advance, a player only had to win one point. So, miss a second serve, and you’re out.

“It was great. I think it was so much fun. Honestly, like, everybody was watching. Like also off the court, everybody said they were so, like, emotional about it,” Swiatek said.

She was coming off a win with Poland in the United Cup, and preparing for her bid to complete a career Grand Slam by winning the Australian title for the first time, so it served as a refreshing distraction.

“It’s something new, refreshing,” she said. “I think this is what tennis sometimes needs.”

Anisimova, who reached the finals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year, said she’d like to see the 1 Point Slam expanded to all four majors.

“It was so funny, because we were all, like, equally very, very nervous,” she said. “We were just talking about how nervous we were.

“I think it was mostly because we didn’t want to just like miss on the first shot, because it would have been so embarrassing — we all shared that sentiment. At the same time, it was just so much fun to laugh with each other ahead of a big two weeks.”

Another shot

Two-time major winner Gauff said she’d like a chance to redeem herself if the event is staged next year.

“I didn’t expect to win. I was telling everyone that was not going to happen. People were like, ‘What are you going to do with the money?” she said. “I did say I wanted an amateur to win. I think the best-case scenario happened.”

Smith beat Joanna Garland, the women’s No. 117 from Taiwan who, Gauff said, “became like a celebrity overnight.”

She thought it was good to hear stories of people who play tennis but who never get public exposure, and suggested the qualifying rounds —- played in local tennis clubs around Australia — should be televised as well.

“There were a couple cool stories that were from the qualifying rounds that I was there that I wish some people got to see on Rod Laver,” Gauff said.

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