Melbourne: Defending champion Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer raced into the Australian Open second round Monday as the year’s first Grand Slam was rocked by claims of widespread match-fixing in tennis.
Djokovic’s main opponent was the 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) heat as, cooling himself with ice vests on the change-overs, 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 Nicoloz 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.
“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 I 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 percent of his first serve points.
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.
Results
Men
1st round
Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Chung Hyeon (KOR) 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
Denis Kudla (USA) bt Filip Krajinovic (SRB) 6-2, 6-1, 0-0 ret
Federico Del Bonis (ARG) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO x22) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 2-1 abandon
Renzo Olivo (ARG) bt Jiri Vesely (CZE) 7-6 (10/8), 2-6, 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) bt Inigo Cervantes-Huegun (ESP) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Gilles Simon (FRA x14) bt Vasek Pospisil (CAN) 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-2, 6-4
Omar Jasika (AUS) bt Illya Marchenko (UKR) 6-4, 3-6, 6-0, 6-4
Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) bt Pablo Andujar (ESP) 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2
Noah Rubin (USA) bt Benoit Paire (FRA x17) 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/5)
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP x26) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Daniel Brands (GER) bt Victor Estrella (DOM) 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), 4-6, 6-1
Austin Krajicek (USA) bt Wu Di (CHN) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3
Kei Nishikori (JPN x7) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4, 6-3, 6-3
Roger Federer (SUI x3) bt Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 6-2, 6-1, 6-2
Aleksandr Dolgopolov (UKR) bt Ricardas Berankis (LTU) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x27) bt Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) 6-3, 7-6 (10/8), 6-3
Dominic Thiem (AUT x19) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 7-6 (7/0)
Nicolas Almagro (ESP) bt Julien Benneteau (FRA) 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/1)
Damir Dzumhur (BIH) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR) 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
David Goffin (BEL x15) bt Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Marin Cilic (CRO x12) bt Thiemo de Bakker (NED) 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-2, 6-4
Albert Ramos (ESP) bt Borna Coric (CRO) 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
Dusan Lajovic (SRB) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 6-7 (5/7), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 abandon
Pablo Cuevas (URU) bt Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) 7-6 (7/5), 6-1, 6-4
Mirza Basic (BIH) bt Robin Haase (NED) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-4
Tomas Berdych (CZE x6) bt Yuki Bhambri (IND) 7-5, 6-1, 6-2
Nick Kyrgios (AUS x29) bt Pablo Carreno Busla (ESP) 6-2, 7-5, 6-2
Women
1st rd
Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-4, 7-5
Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) bt Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 3-6, 7-5, 6-1
Ana Konjuh (CRO) bt Urszula Radwanska (POL) 0-6, 6-4, 6-3
Darya Kasatkina (RUS) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK x27) 6-3, 6-3
Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) bt Sara Errani (ITA x17) 1-6, 7-5, 6-1
Kurumi Nara (JPN) bt Oceane Dodin (FRA) 7-6 (7/2), 6-2
Han Xinyun (CHN) bt Mariana Duque (COL) 6-2, 2-1 ret
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x16) 1-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4
Belinda Bencic (SUI x12) bt Alison Riske (USA) 6-4, 6-3
Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) bt Ajla Tomljanovic (CRO) 7-6 (7/2), 6-3
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x23) bt Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) 6-0, 6-2
Lauren Davis (USA) bt Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x26) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) bt Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5
Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-3, 7-6 (7/2)
Maria Sharapova (RUS x5) bt Nao Hibino (JPN) 6-1, 6-3
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) bt Aleksandra Krunic (SRB) 6-3, 6-4
Monica Puig (PUR) bt Magda Linette (POL) 6-3, 6-0
Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x4) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-2, 6-3
Wang Qiang (CHN) bt Sloane Stephens (USA x24) 6-3, 6-3
Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) bt Lourdes Dominguez (ESP) 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-1
Irina Falconi (USA) bt Anna Tatishvili (USA) 6-4, 3-6, 8-6
Roberta Vinci (ITA x13) bt Tamira Paszek (AUT) 6-4, 6-2
Carla Suarez (ESP x10) bt Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 7-5, 6-4
Maria Sakkari (GRE) bt Yafan Wang (CHN) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
Monica Niculescu (ROM) bt Teliana Pereira (BRA) 6-2, 6-1
Kristina Mladenovic (FRA x28) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 6-3, 6-4
Nicole Gibbs (USA) bt Klara Koukalova (CZE) 6-2, 2-6, 6-1
Daria Gavrilova (AUS) bt Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4
Petra Kvitova (CZE x6) bt Luksika Kumkhum (THA) 6-3, 6-1