Ivanovic, Azarenka cruise into third round at Australian Open

The centrepiece of the day was Lleyton Hewitt’s final match in his 20th Australian Open, which he lost 6-2, 6-4, 6-4, leaving to a tumultuous ovation.

World number eight Ferrer was in no mood for sentimentality to give his 34-year-old opponent a fairytale finish to his last tournament as he clinched the crucial points, especially when Hewitt’s periodic fightbacks brought the crowd into the match. Murray had won two points with lobs and at deuce Groth clearly expected the same treatment after charging into the net, but the Scot beat him with a passing shot.

Murray, the four-time runner-up at Melbourne Park, also admitted to his surprise that his meeting with Groth was the Australian’s first time playing at the famed Rod Laver Arena, with the home favourite revealing his lack of experience to Murray in the locker room before they took to the court.

The third was a virtual repeat of the first.

On a day when the humidity and early rain slowed down the conditions the No 2 seed was imperious in defusing the power of Australian bruiser Sam Groth 6-0, 6-4, 6-1, taking just an hour-and-a-half to do so on the Rod Laver Arena. Four other Americans are playing their second-round matches on Thursday. I just want to enjoy the journey.

“He didn’t serve well at the start of the match but when he picked up in the second set it became much tougher”.

For tennis fans, it may have been the flawless antidote to allegations of match fixing and not trying, or tanking, in matches that took place on the tour years ago.

On the court, Murray is seeking a first grand slam title in three years.

Hewitt, who played his first Australian Open in 1997, won his first title at the age of 16 and was ranked No. 1 at age 20, was joined on court by his three children after he match. He and Djokovic contested the Wimbledon and U.S Open finals, with Murray’s lone appearance in a grand slam final in 2015 coming in Melbourne.

Murray now faces Sousa, whom he has played six times and won on each occasion.

Murray wrested back the momentum by breaking his opponent at the start of the third, however, and once he had gone 2-1 up a hard-fought victory always looked on the cards. The 26-year old has only been to the third round of a major on two previous occasions, and he lost both times.

“When we saw Nadal go out, Verdasco’s forehand was on fire, it was unstoppable in that fifth set”. Better fortunes fell upon another Spaniard, namely Feliciano Lopez. “A couple of the roars during the match tonight was as loud as I’ve ever played in front of”.

Another lowly-seeded dark horse in the women’s draw, Victoria Azarenka, also progressed without great fanfare, despite another impressive performance in the second round.

Jack Sock’s disappointing results at Grand Slam tournaments continue.

Having ended Alison Van Uytvanck’s campaign in just 53 minutes, Azarenka accounted for Kovinic in just a tick over an hour.

After a torrid two years battling injuries, the 14th seed is back on a roll after re-evaluating her game and her life. It is hard to picture the two-time champion from Australian losing to Naomi Osaka in the next round, meaning that an Azarenka-versus-Muguruza fourth round match could be looming.

Before then, however, the world number 47 will team up with compatriot Heather Watson in the second round of the doubles on Friday, when they take on Jocelyn Rae and Anna Smith in an all-British clash.