Aus Open men’s roundup: Federer outclasses Bedene as Wawrinka, Djokovic win

Defending champion Roger Federer breezed past Aljaz Bedene in straight sets to launch his Australian Open campaign on Tuesday. The Swiss second seed won 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 and will next play German Jan-Lennard Struff in the second round.

Djokovic on song

Six-times champion Novak Djokovic came through his opening match at the Australian Open with flying colours, racing to a straight sets win on Tuesday.

Djokovic, seeded 14 and fighting back from an elbow injury, beat American Donald Young 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 on Margaret Court Arena.

He next plays either France’s Gael Monfils or Spanish qualifier Jaume Munar.

Wawrinka bests world No 136 Berankis in a four-set battle

Former champion Stan Wawrinka was taken to four sets before winning his first match since knee surgery in July.

The three-time Grand Slam winner downed Ricardas Berankis 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2) on Hisense Arena.

It was a confidence booster for the 2014 Melbourne Park champion who had a troubled lead-in to the year’s opening Grand Slam, pulling out of an exhibition event in Abu Dhabi.

“It was a tough battle and I’m really happy to win my first match here after six months out,” Wawrinka said.

Raonic suffers his earliest Slam loss in seven years

Canada’s Milos Raonic was knocked out by Lukas Lacko on Tuesday in his earliest exit at Grand Slam for seven years.

The 86th-ranked Slovakian beat the 22nd seeded Raonic 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in 3hr 22min on Show Court three.

It was Raonic’s earliest exit at a Slam since losing in the first round at Roland Garros in 2011.

Raonic, a 2016 Wimbledon finalist, is fighting his way back from a wrist injury last season and despite serving 36 aces, he made 47 unforced errors and had his serve broken three times.

Lacko will play Argentina’s Nicolas Kicker in the second round.

Zverev’s tough first win

Young German star Alexander Zverev needed a hard-fought three sets to get through his opening match.

The world No 4 spent 2hr 22min on Rod Laver Arena before claiming a 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 win over 73rd-ranked Italian Thomas Fabbiano.

Zverev, at the vanguard of the “NextGen” brigade, will face either Mikhail Kukushkin of Kazakhstan or fellow German Peter Gojowczyk in the second round.

While the 20-year-old won five titles and was one of just four players to beat Roger Federer last year, he has yet to get beyond the fourth round at a Grand Slam.

He was knocked out in the third round in Melbourne in 2017 and could face a potential third-round clash against his older brother Mischa in the year’s opening Grand Slam tournament.

Goffin grinds into Open second round

Seventh seed David Goffin wore down German qualifier Mathias Bachinger in four sets in his opening match.

The Belgian lost an opening set tiebreak before reeling off a 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win in just over two-and-a-half hours on Show Court Three.

The diminutive Goffin, who upset Roger Federer before losing to Grigor Dimitrov in the ATP Finals in London in November, will next play Frenchman Julien Benneteau.

Verdasco

Men’s singles 1st round results

Jiri Vesely (CZE) bt Vaclav Safranek (CZE) 6-4, 6-3, 6-3

Adrian Mannarino (FRA x26) bt Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

Fernando Verdasco (ESP) bt Roberto Bautista (ESP x20) 6-1, 7-5, 7-5

Maximilian Marterer (GER) bt Cedrik-Marcel Stebe (GER) 6-0, 6-3, 6-4

Julien Benneteau (FRA) bt Taro Daniel (JPN) 6-7 (6/8), 7-6 (7/0), 6-4, 6-1

Sam Querrey (USA x13) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2

Marton Fucsovics (HUN) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5

Nicolas Kicker (ARG) bt Jordan Thompson (AUS) 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3

Lukas Lacko (SVK) bt Milos Raonic (CAN x22) 6-7 (5/7), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7/5)

Stan Wawrinka (SUI x9) bt Ricardas Berankis (LTU) 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2)

Albert Ramos (ESP x21) bt Jared Donaldson (USA) 6-2, 6-3, 6-4

Peter Gojowczyk (GER) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 6-3, 6-3, 6-1

Alexander Zverev (GER x4) bt Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5), 7-5

David Goffin (BEL x7) bt Matthias Bachinger (GER) 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) bt Florian Mayer (GER) 6-4, 6-4, 6-4

Lorenzo Sonego (ITA) bt Robin Haase (NED) 6-3, 7-5, 6-7 (6/8), 7-5

Novak Djokovic (SRB x14) bt Donald Young (USA) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4

Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) bt Kwon Soon-woo (KOR) 6-1, 6-2, 6-4

With inputs from AFP