Escobedo, ranked 141 in the world, lost in four sets to the 35th ranked player in the world - Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan.

Escobedo won the first set 6-4 and was up 5-4 with a service break in the second set.

However, the American couldn't hold serve to take a two-sets-to-none lead.

Bublik won three-straight games to take the second set 7-5 and then went on to win the third and fourth sets 6-3, 6-3.

It was Escobedo's first appearance in the main draw at the Australian Open since he lost to David Ferrer in the second round of the 2017 event.

Bendigo International women's top seed Cristina Bucsa also lost in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday.

Bucsa, from Spain, suffered a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Belgium's Alison Van Uytvanck.

Bucsa suffered a shock second round loss in Bendigo before bouncing back to win all three of her matches at Australian Open qualifying.

Bendigo International women's winner Ysaline Bonaventure narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Australian Open after losing her final qualifying round match.

The Netherlands' Arianne Hartono bounced off defeat at the Bendigo International to qualify for the Open, but lost her first-round match on Monday in three sets to Amanda Anisimova.

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