Easy win for Williams

Instead her bid was shattered in stunning fashion as the 32-year-old Italian rallied from a set down to claim a sensational 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 triumph. The Briton won 6-4 6-2 in Rod Laver Arena.

Zheng was competitive from the back but her shots lacked penetration and her serve was weak, allowing Konta consistently to step in and dictate on the half-volley.

Andy Murray inflicted more pain on Australia as the British No 1 annihilated local favourite Sam Groth to reach the third round in Melbourne.

What it means: After Williams entered the Australian Open with questions lurking over her form due to her time away and a nagging knee injury, she looked more than settled in round two. Roger Federer agreed, and said people making the accusations should name names.

First Konta will continue her budding doubles partnership with fellow Brit Heather Watson. “Because as players we can see if something is going wrong”. “That would be exciting”. “Any time someone is beating Venus they are more than likely playing really good”. After the match I told her, ‘Serena, I’m sorry I took you out.

“I didn’t mind that the tour was tiring, I just didn’t want to play”.

After his first-round win, on the day when the BBC and BuzzFeed News published reports alleging match-fixing had gone unchecked in tennis, the No. 1-ranked Djokovic recalled when a member of his support team was approached with an offer to throw a match in Russian Federation in 2007.

After an opening-round test against Camila Giorgi, Williams was in full flight, winning her 70th career match at the Australian Open with the victory. I said everything I needed to say two days ago. “She’s never mentioned anything about not being here, not competing”.

The earliest they could meet at the Australian Open would be the semi-finals.

If Djokovic gets past Seppi, he could face Gilles Simon in the fourth round and potentially Kei Nishikori in the quarterfinals – if Nishokori wins his third-round match Friday against No. 26-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Sharapova served 16 aces but made 42 unforced errors, compared to just 34 by her 103rd-ranked opponent. “It doesn’t matter who I play, when I play”. “He’s a very nice guy outside of the court – on the court he’s very tough”.

Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko shocked 23rd seed Svetlana Kuznetsova as she continues her comeback after having a baby in 2013.

“What I found interesting for me is that it was going the wrong way”, she said. I’m coming apart, though.

In a positive evening for the hosts, the combustible Nick Kyrgios overcame a mix-up with his shorts to beat Pablo Cuevas and set up a showdown with world number six Tomas Berdych.

But Wednesday’s fine does not count towards the total as it happened at a major.

Williams will next face world No. 69 Daria Kasatkina after the young Russian accounted for Croatian Ana Konjuh 6-4 6-3.

On Monday, Djokovic said in 2007 a member of his entourage was approached to lose a match for over AU$200,000.

Russia’s Maria Sharapova plays a backhand return during her women’s singles match against Belarus’s Aliaksandra Sasnovich on Day Three of the 2016 Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne on Wednesday.

“I think your perspective changes; the game also develops and it becomes – I don’t know, you just have a different attitude about it”.

The 2008 champion lost serve twice in the first set, but it did not damage her campaign as Sasnovich could not hold serve in any of her four games.

Light rain is falling at Melbourne Park, delaying the start of play on side courts at the Australian Open on Wednesday.

“Very happy, conditions are extremely quick”, he said.

Kvitova is the third top ten player ousted here thus far, joining No. 2 Simona Halep and No. 10 Venus Williams, who both lost in the first round.