Nadal and Federer stroll through as Wozniacki and Kerber show class
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer showed no mercy in a clinical first-round thumpings at the Australian Open yesterday, with fellow former champions Angelique Kerber and Maria Sharapova also powering through.
Nadal, the 17-time grand slam winner who cut short his 2018 season to have surgery on a foot injury, cruised into the second round 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 against Australian wildcard James Duckworth.
“Not easy to come back after a lot of months, especially against a player playing super aggressive on every point,” said the 2009 Australian champion, who will take on another Australian, Matthew Ebden, in the next round. “The energy I feel in this place is fantastic.”
Six-time Austalian Open winner Federer beat Uzbek Denis Istomin 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
Federer, who will play British qualifier Dan Evans in the next round, said: “I’m very happy with my first round. It’s been great. I felt the ball really good.”
Fifth seed Kevin Anderson also progressed against Adrian Mannarino, with last year’s Wimbledon finalist a 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 winner to set up a tie with American Frances Tiafoe.
John Isner became the first top-10 player to fall on the opening day as he was beaten 7-6, 7-6, 6-7, 7-6 by Reilly Opelka, the world No 97.
Opelka, 6ft 11ins tall, is the first American to beat 6ft 10ins Isner at a grand slam. He will now take on the Italian Thomas Fabbiano.
Women’s second seed Kerber swept past Slovenia’s Polona Hercog 6-2, 6-2 to set up a clash with Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil.
Sharapova, a winner at Melbourne Park in 2008, pulled off a rare 6-0, 6-0 double bagel of Britain’s Harriet Dart. “It was a good test for my leg, for my shoulder,” Sharapova, who faces the Swede Rebecca Peterson next, said. “I’m still working through some painful days. But, you know, I felt like I did all the right things today in order to get through that match.”
Fifth seed Sloane Stephens, who has been struggling for form, strolled to a 6-4 6-2 victory against fellow American Taylor Townsend and will now play Timea Babos of Hungary.
World No 3 Caroline Wozniacki opened her defence with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Belgium’s Alison van Uytvanck. Johanna Larsson of Sweden is next up.
Petra Kvitova, who won last week’s Sydney International, eased into the second round with a 6-3, 6-2 win to set up a clash with Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania.