Australian Open: Serena Williams, Kei Nishikori advance to round two

Aggressive baseliner Halep, who won titles in Shenzhen, Dubai and Indian Wells previous year, is looking for her first Grand Slam crown.

“I haven’t played a competitive match in a really long time, but I think it was really good for me to come out here”, Williams said, per the Associated Press (via LA Times.) “I was able to stay in it and stay calm today and I think that’s what matters most”.

The six-times champion needed one hour 45 minutes to see off Italian Camila Giorgi 6-4 7-5 in sweltering conditions one day one of the Open.

Chung said afterward facing the world No. 1 was “a great experience”.

“I even tried to play a match”, she said.

Djokovic had a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Chung Hyeon of South Korea at Rod Laver Arena on Monday. “The memories from two years ago were a little bit hard”.

Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki, the 16th seed from Denmark, was the biggest casualty in the women’s draw after losing 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 against world number 76 Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan.

The 17-times grand slam champion shone under the lights of Rod Laver Arena to wrap up the match in one hour and 12 minutes, putting on a clinic of clean hitting.

“I’m very satisfied with how I dealt with the situation”.

No. 24 Sloane Stephens, who beat Serena Williams in the 2013 Australian Open quarterfinals, went out in a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Chinese qualifier Wang Qiang.

“I had an interrupted lead-up and lost some weight but I’m feeling much better now”.

Japanese star Nishikori powered past Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 to set up a second-round clash with long-time friend and training partner Austin Krajicek from the United States.

Madison Keys had a slow start in her return to Melbourne Park, but advanced to the second round with a 7-6 (5), 6-1 win over Zarina Diyas.

Having to play somebody for the first time, especially somebody that is as young as him, he’s only 19, it can be tricky.

“It wasn’t a pretty first set but I got it done and really should have closed it off in two”. There was also a regulation win for Maria Sharapova on day three of play at Melbourne Park, but two-times grand slam victor Svetlana Kuznetsova fell to a shock defeat.

But the world number 36 – the highest ranked non-seed – quickly settled down to hold serve with a scintillating crosscourt forehand.

The Australian Open is the first real place to see if if she can.

Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) chief Chris Kermode rejected any suggestion that match-fixing evidence had been covered up or ignored.

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.