Djokovic, Williams cruise to 2nd round
SYDNEY — Eight-time champion Novak Djokovic meade short work of Jeremy Chardy and Serena Williams also wasted no time in dismissing Laura Siegemund on the first day of play at the Australian Open Monday.
World number one Djokovic took 91 minutes to clinch a 6-3, 6-1, 6-2 victory over his French opponent, paving the way to victory with a break in the long fifth game of the third set.
Williams meanwhile dropped serve in the opening game then then reeled off 10 games in a row to oust Germany’s Siegemund, 6-1, 6-1 in her latest attempt for a record-equalling 24th title at the majors.
There were also first-round victories for U.S. Open champion Dominic Thiem and French Open winner Iga Swiatek but former world number one and 2016 Melbourne champ Angelique Kerber of Germany went out.
Play in Melbourne took place with the show courts filled to one-third with spectators as local authorities are allowing 30,000 fans to Melbourne Park each day.
It is a welcome change for players amid the coronavirus pandemic after last year’s US Open took place behind closed doors and the French Open in front of very small crowds.
“It makes my heart full to see a crowd in the stadium again. This is the most people I’ve seen on a tennis court in 12 months,” Djokovic said. “Thank you so much, I really appreciate your support.”
Djokovic was hardly troubled by Chardy as he advanced in the night session to a date with American Francis Tiafoe, and Williams was also
in full control as it took American 10th seed Williams under an hour to get past Siegemund and now face unseeded Serbian Nina Stojanovic.
“This was a good start. Definitely vintage ‘Rena,” the 39-year-old said. “It’s definitely good. I think I’m pretty good at pacing myself in a Grand Slam.”
Second seed Simona Halep of Romania routed Australian wild-card Lizette Cabrera 6-2, 6-1, and number three seed and 2019 winner Naomi Osaka cruised past Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova with an almost identical scoreline, 6-1, 6-2.
Canada’s Bianca Andreescu, who in 2019 defeated Williams in the US Open final, was back to her winning ways against Romania’s Mihaela Buzarnescu, with the 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory her eighth consecutive at a slam.
The 20-year-old picked up where she left off, winning her first match in 15 months — since the New York final — after skipping the whole 2020 season due to injury and opting out when the tour resumed after a break due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Kerber meanwhile crashed against American Bernarda Pera 6-0, 6-4.
Kerber was among the players who were not permitted to leave their hotel rooms at all for two weeks after arriving in Australia because other passengers aboard their charter flights had tested positive for the new coronavirus.
All players and their entourages had to quarantine for two weeks upon their arrival in Australia, but most competitors were allowed to train for five hours a day. Andreescu was reportedly also among the players in hard lockdown.
“Last year was very crazy for the world, and to be able to do what I love and to be able to come out and compete and play at a Grand Slam, after the last 12 months, it makes me appreciate the moment even more,” Serena Williams said.
In the opening match at Margaret Court Arena, her 40-year-old sister Venus Williams defeated Kirsten Flipkens 7-5, 6-2 meanwhile, and Swiatek ousted Dutch Arantxa Rus 6-1, 6-3.
On the men’s side, Austria’s Thiem dispatched Kazakh Mikhail Kukushkin 7-6 (7-2), 6-2, 64. Big serving Canadian Milos Raonic made quick business of Argentina’s Federico Coria 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, and last year’s Melbourne semi-finalist Alexander Zverev of Germany rallied to defeat Marcos Giron of the US 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-2.
Three-time grand slam champion Wawrinka dismissed Portugal’s Pedro Sousa 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 at the renamed John Cain Arena, formerly Melbourne Arena.