Federer, Osaka, Djokovic have little trouble advancing

MELBOURNE, Australia — Reigning champions Naomi Osaka and Novak Djokovic won in straight sets in windy conditions on Wednesday to continue their title-defense campaigns at the Australian Open, as did former champions Serena Williams and Roger Federer.

Osaka showed signs of frustration as she struggled with consistency in her 6-2, 6-4 win over China’s Saisai Zheng in the morning, while Djokovic had smoother sailing as he defeated Japan’s Tatsuma Ito 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 on his way to the third round.

Local hope and top women’s seed Ash Barty also made it comfortably through to the third round thanks to a 6-1, 6-4 rout of Slovenia’s Polona Hercog.

Later at Rod Laver Arena, Williams defeated 22-year-old Tamara Zidansek 6-2, 6-3 in a match less straightforward than the final score would suggest. Williams was followed on the court by Federer, who breezed past Serbia’s Filip Krajinovic 6-1, 6-4, 6-1.

In other action, 2018 champion Caroline Wozniacki roared back from 5-1 down in the first set and 3-0 down in the second to defeat 23rd seed Dayana Yastremska 7-5, 7-5 in her farewell tournament.

Melbourne Arena saw a different dramatic comeback, as teen sensation Coco Gauff fought her way from a set down to a thirdround matchup with Osaka four months after meeting her at the US Open — making headlines for a touching post-match moment.

Two seeds in the men’s draw, No. 8 Matteo Berrettini and No. 18 Grigor Dimitrov, also appeared set for an impressive rebound from two sets down, but both failed to close the deal against low-ranked Americans.

Bulgaria’s Dimitrov ultimately lost to world No. 80 Tommy Paul 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-7 (3-7), 7-6 (10-3) in the longest Melbourne match so far with four hours and 19 minutes of play.

Italy’s Berrettini, a 2019 US Open semifinalist like the Bulgarian, went out against world No. 100 Tennys Sandgren 7-6 (9-7), 6-4, 46, 2-6, 7-5.

In the last match of the day at Margaret

Court Arena, Australia’s Jordan Thompson tried his own comeback from two sets down against 12th seed Fabio Fognini but came shy of closing it out, eventually surrendering 7-6 (7-4), 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 7-6 (10-4).

“It’s too easy winning in three sets,” Fognini said after the match, his first-round win also another five-set affair against American Reilly Opelka on Tuesday.

In the other late match, women’s 10th seed Madison Keys defeated Arantxa Rus 7-6 (7-3), 62 at Rod Laver Arena.

Twenty-time Grand Slam champion Federer overwhelmed Krajinovic with 42 winners including 14 aces in one hour and 32 minutes at a packed Rod Laver Arena.

“It’s a great start of the season so far, I’m feeling really relaxed out on court ... I’m happy I’m still going and I’m looking forward to the next one of course,” the 38year-old said after the match.

Third seed Osaka had a few stumbles on her way past Zheng, taking her frustration out on her racquet after dropping serve on 1-1 in the second set before turning things around mid-set.

“I mean, my racquet just magically flew out of my hand,” Osaka said smiling to journalists after the match, “I couldn’t control it. Sorry, Yonex. I think that’s how I dealt with my frustration.”

Over at Rod Laver Arena, Barty took just over an hour to dismiss Hercog, continuing on the strong backhand of her opening outing against Ukraine’s Lesia Tsurenko, when she won 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.

“It was important for me to get a good start, and I was able to do that,” Barty said.

Later on the main stage Williams struggled with her consistency in the match against Zidansek with 28 unforced errors to 25 winners.

In the second set the young Slovenian got close to a break on 3-2, but Williams managed to hold before putting her foot on the gas and winning four straight games to close the match.

Williams is bidding to win a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title in Melbourne, where she lifted her last Grand Slam trophy in 2017 while eight weeks pregnant with daughter Alexis Olympia.

At Margaret Court Arena another illustrious career, that of Danish star Wozniacki, looked set to end with an early exit, but the former world No. 1 had other plans.

The power of Yastremska, seeded 23rd, appeared to be too much for Wozniacki as she got to a 5-1 lead in the first set. But Wozniacki roared back, winning 15 of 16 points — 14 consecutive — to even the score 5-5.