Djokovic finished with five service breaks and hit 42 winners with just 14 unforced errors. PHOTO: AFP
Djokovic had a third-set tussle with French teenager Quentin Halys before winning their night match 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (7/3), joining Serena and Roger Federer in the next stage.
As a match-fixing controversy continued to reverberate at Melbourne Park, Serena swatted Hsieh Su-Wei 6-1, 6-2 to reach the third round as she seeks a record-equalling 22nd major title.
Serena eased lingering concerns over the state of her injured knee as she obliterated the Taiwanese, even pulling off possibly her first ever round-the-net shot for good measure.
Williams, Federer stamp class on Australian Open
“It’s always cool to do something fresh and new. I don’t know if I have done that,” said the American world number one, who showed no signs discomfort from her knee.
Federer, who is trying to extend his record number of Grand Slam crowns to 18, then dismantled his 35th-ranked practice partner Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.
The all-time Grand Slam king came unstuck in the third round last year, when he was shocked by Andreas Seppi, and he is wary of another upset with Grigor ‘Baby Fed’ Dimitrov up next.
“It’s the least I expect to be in the third round of a Slam, obviously, so I’m pumped up, playing well, feeling good,” said Federer. “But there’s always danger, you know. Like last year the third round was the end for me, so I hope to go further this time.”
Nadal crashes out of Australian Open
Later, Djokovic was made to fight for victory by Halys, 19, who had a net cord to thank as he broke the Serb in the third set, which went to a tie-break.
Kvitova sent crashing by Aussie giant-killer
Petra Kvitova became the latest women’s top-10 player to fall, joining Simona Halep and Venus Williams on the sidelines when she was shocked 6-4, 6-4 by Australian giant-killer Daria Gavrilova.
The out-of-sorts Czech sixth seed had no answers to the confident Gavrilova, who raced into a Grand Slam third round for the first time, winning 6-4, 6-4 on Margaret Court Arena.
In a positive evening for the hosts, the combustible Nick Kyrgios beat Pablo Cuevas and set up a showdown with world number six Tomas Berdych.
Australian Open: Sharapova banishes fitness concerns with resounding win
Agnieszka Radwanska’s sky-high confidence took another leap upwards when she halted Eugenie Bouchard, back in form after suffering concussion at the US Open, 6-4, 6-2.
On court earlier was five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova, who had little difficulty dispatching 105th-ranked Aliaksandra Sasnovich 6-2, 6-1.
Japanese seventh seed Kei Nishikori beat his close friend Austin Krajicek 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 as he pressed his bid for a first Grand Slam title.
And Italy’s Roberta Vinci overcame Irina Falconi to move towards a potential semi-final rematch with Williams — whom she stunned in the US Open last four, ending her bid for a rare calendar-year Grand Slam.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 21st, 2016.
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