Tennis: Djokovic, Wawrinka cruise through at Australian Open
January 20, 2015
World number one Novak Djokovic recovered from his stomach virus and recent defeat in Doha to create a safe passage to the next round of the Australian Open.
The Serb defeated 116th ranked Slovenian Aljaz Bedene 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in the first round and will play either Russian Andrey Kuznetsov or Spain's Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the second round.
"(The symptoms) are fading away," said Djokovic, winner of four Melbourne titles. "It hasn't been an ideal couple of weeks in terms of health and preparation.
"But I fought through, now it's behind me. I'm only looking forward. I did well in terms of responding to the slow start today, feeling a little bit rusty on the court. So hopefully the next match will be even better."
There was no sign of weakness from 2014 Australian Open champion Stanislas Wawrinka who swept aside Turk Mansel Illhan 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in a match that lasted just 90 minutes.
It's great, bringing me a lot of memories from last year," Wawrinka told reporters. "It was great to come back here feeling happy, happy with my game."
A potential opponent for the Swiss fifth-seed in the quarter-finals, US Open finalist Kei Nishikori made heavy weather of his first round clash against Spaniard Nicolas Almagro.
The Japanese fifth-seed eventually came out with a 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 victory after more than two hours of demanding, gritty tennis.
Germany's Benjamin Becker and Matthias Bachinger are through to the second round.
Mouth-watering second round match
Meanwhile, two-time Australian Open champ Victoria Azarenka dispatched Sloane Stephens (6-3, 6-2) to set up a tasty second round clash with eighth-seed Caroline Wozniacki.
The 25-year-old Belarusian, ranked 44th in the world, seemed to rediscover the injury-free form of victories at Melbourne Park in 2012 and 2013 where she faced Stephens in the semi-final.
But Azarenka already faces a test of her mettel as early as the second round after former world number one Wozniacki battled past US teenager Taylor Townsend 7-6 (7-1), 6-2.
Despite regarding Azarenka as one of her closest friends on the tour, Wozniacki said there would be no love lost in the hunt for a quarter-final berth.
"Whenever you play on tour, whenever you're on court, you just want to win, it doesn't matter who's on the other side," she said.
Germany's poor start to the Australian Open continued as Andrea Petkovic also exited in the first round, just as Sabine Lisicki and Angelique Kerber did the day before. Petkovic lost 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 3-6 to American Madison Brengle, and finished with a huge 64 unforced errors. For the first time in eight years, the top three German female tennis players are not in the second round of a Slam.
Mona Barthel, however, did progress, seeing off Croatia's Donna Vekic in three sets.
rd / apc (AP, AFP, Reuters, dpa)