Australia's women's basketball team, the Opals, have earned a first-round walkover at the 2006 FIBA World Championship for Women in Brazil after their opponent Lithuania was not allowed into the country due to health regulations.

Due to the cancellation of their original flight, the Lithuanian team was forced to travel to Brazil via French Guyana. Brazilian law states that anyone entering the country from French Guyana needs to have a vaccination, which the Lithuanian women did not have, and therefore, they were denied entry into the country.

Brazilian immigration officers and FIBA officials are still trying to sort out the situation but at this stage, it is expected Lithuania will have to forfeit the tournament meaning the remaining three teams in their Group; Australia, Canada and Senegal will progress to the next round.

In other first round matches, Canada pipped Senegal 65-64 after holding a nine-point lead at halftime, host Brazil won its grudge match over neighbour Argentina 71-69 and Spain trounced Korea 87-57.

Title favourites the USA slammed China 119-72, Russia had an equally-easy victory over Nigeria 84-50, Cuba beat Chinese Taipei 75-70 and France escaped with a narrow victory over the Czech Republic 62-58.

Australia takes on Senegal in its next match with the scheduling of the Canada v Lithuania match still up in the air.