On the day Tennis Australia announced an expanded, welcome focus on women's tennis, the female side of the Melbourne Park singles collective went 0-6. Half were 17-year-old debutantes, the others an injured Jarmila Wolfe and fringe wildcard duo Tammi Patterson and Storm Sanders. With Sam Stosur among the day one departures, only Russian-born Daria Gavrilova averted an opening round wipeout. Full, the cupboard is not.
The men, in happier contrast, added Sam Groth, John Millman, Bernard Tomic and either Lleyton Hewitt or James Duckworth to Nick Kyrgios and teenager Omar Jasika's successes from day one. Jordan Thompson and Matt Ebden were eliminated, and Thanasi Kokkinakis is absent. The future may not be blinding, but it is undeniably bright. 
That is even more obvious when considered relatively, and hence the positive news of a greater investment in the women's game. The goal is to attract more girls to the sport and keep them playing for longer; the method is an expansion of the performance team and addition of a new women's pro tennis co-ordinator to work closely with the respected head honcho Nicole Pratt.
A change of direction had already been apparent in the Australian Open wildcard mix, with young Priscilla Hon winning her main draw ticket via the 18-and-under nationals in a new initiative, Maddison Inglis successful at the play-off, and Kimberly Birrell among the last of the discretionary invitees. There were fewer of the twentysomethings who have already been given multiple opportunities without really breaking through. Time to look forward.
Pratt is confident the cohort is a good one; they are also close and mutually supportive friends. As Hon was leaving her small interview room after being beaten 6-0, 6-3 by German Annika Beck, Inglis was walking into the one next door after her 6-3, 6-0 loss to last year's semi-finalist Ekaterina Makarova. There was just time for a quick smile and a hug. Senior tennis is a very different game.
And, certainly, not all was lost. Each member of the trio earned more on Tuesday - almost $40,000 - than some minimum wage earners in a year. But tennis is an expensive sport and, as West Australian Inglis said later, it was not about the money. Despite the result, it was an experience to savour.
"It was awesome. I loved being out there," she said. "I wish I could have been out there longer, I guess. I was so nervous I couldn't even sleep for the last few nights, but it was really cool out there. I want to be back next year, so back to training." As to whether Inglis isconfident the three teenagers can justify the faith, comparisons can indeed be odious. "Nick and Thanasi, they went really, really quick, so maybe we won't be that good that quick. Everything takes time."
Having echoed Birrell's sentiments that "it's pretty special to be able to experience this all together", Hon admitted to nerves, and rushing through a first set in which she won just 11 points. "Also just kind of realising that I'm kind of playing the first round of a grand slam is a big thing," she said.
"Obviously the level's a lot higher, and we realise it, but then when you're actually on court and playing against a top 50, top 100 player it definitely hits you, and you're like 'wow, ok, this is where I need to be for the next time'."
Millman, at last, will have a next time for the first time in three attempts at his home slam, as the beneficiary of the dramatic injury retirement of a cramping and heat-stressed Diego Schwartzman. It was the first such experience of Millman's career, and an "awkward" one for the 26-year-old, whose opponent eventually left the court in a wheelchair.
Before that, unable to continue, but only able to be treated for cramp at a change of ends, supervisor Donna Kelso advised a confused Millman at 2-0 30-0 in the fourth set as his opponent lay suffering on the court, that Schwartzman would start to forfeit games for each minute play was stopped. 
"It's not ideal to win like that," said Millman. "Guys were asking me in the changeroom when it kinds started going bonkers. The games just started going thick and fast."
His own career has been more of a slow burn, but after winning his first grand slam match at Wimbledon, the gregarious Queenslander carried the impetus across to ATP Tour events, and finished the year inside the top 100 for the first time. Millman was particularly pleased for Jasika, and determined to continue the momentum in his, the opening match, on intimate court six.
"(Men's) tennis in Australia is in a really positive state and hopefully we can all push each other to get more guys playing these types of tournaments," he said. "I think a lot of people can relate to me in that my journey hasn't been too easy, and maybe I wasn't the world's greatest thing coming up through juniors. I like that though, I battled my way through, and any kids who are struggling or not making that transition that easy they can always come and approach me cos I've been there, done, that.
"Not everyone makes that transition like a Nick Kyrgios or something. Obviously they're pretty special and they can do that and they're told that they're pretty special and they are special, they're great talent. But hopefully tennis players in Australia can look at my model. It hasn't been always easy, I've had a couple of injury setbacks, but I've managed to get through it, and hopefully I can represent those types of players well."