Djokovic and Federer race to second round
Karlovic, Wozniacki and Stephens among seeds to fall on Day I
Defending champion Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer raced into the Australian Open second round yesterday as the year’s first Grand Slam was rocked by claims of widespread matchfixing in tennis.
Djokovic’s main opponent was the 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) heat as, cooling himself with ice vests on the changeovers, the top seed dispatched Korean rising star Chung Hyeon 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
“You try to stay composed, not get carried away by heat, get distracted,” said the Serb, who was forced out of the 2009 quarter-finals as he struggled with the heat.
“Of course, there were some long rallies, long exchanges that got both of us a little bit short on air. But I think physically I was really good on the court.”
Federer was also untroubled in his 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 win over Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili as he continued his quest for a record-extending 18th Grand Slam title. The Swiss third seed needed just 72 minutes and will now play Ukraine’s Aleksandr Dolgopolov in the second round.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion was in a different class to his 117th-ranked opponent and showcased his full arsenal of shots against the bemused Basilashvili in their first meeting.
No problems
“I am very happy. The first round is never easy and I’ve never played against Nikoloz so it was nice opening on centre court in a night session which is always a pressure situation,” Federer said.
“It was a great match and hope I can keep it up.”
He broke the Georgian eight times in a dominating performance and maintained his record of never having lost in the first round in Melbourne in 17 appearances.
The Swiss great, playing in his 65th consecutive Grand Slam tournament, hit a total of 31 winners and won 91 per cent of his first serve points.
I
Federer is looking to claim his fifth Australian Open crown and at 34 become the oldest man to win the Grand Slam since Ken Rosewall at 37 when he lifted the trophy in 1972.
Kei Nishikori, Tomas Berdych and Australia’s Nick Kyrgios also went through without significant problems, while Caroline Wozniacki, Sloane Stephens, Sara Errani and Ivo Karlovic became the first seeds to fall.
Spain’s Carla Suarez earned applause when she helped a ballboy from the court as he swooned in high temperatures during her win over Viktorija Golubic.
However, the day was overshadowed by a report, which said top-50 players, including Grand Slam champions, had repeatedly been suspected of match-fixing without facing action.
Three suspect matches were at Wimbledon, and eight of the players under suspicion were due to take to the courts for the Australian Open, the BBC and BuzzFeed claimed.