Given the fact it was her first match in four months against a power player who can end points quickly, Williams’ movement and court coverage were both sound.
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“It’s an absolute pleasure to come back to Rod Laver Arena, it’s the most successful court in my career and there have been many memorable moments in the matches I’ve played here”, five-time Australia Open champion Djokovic said.
Her only stumble came while serving for the match when she was broken by Hibino, but Sharapova broke back in the next game to clinch the match.
“I think I just needed a break”.
“From my knowledge and information about, you know, the match-fixing or anything similar, there is nothing happening on the top level”. On to the next one.
“Leaving here is all positive I think”, Evans said. The fifth seed, attempting to win her first title at Melbourne Park since 2008, was in blistering first-round form and will be aiming to carry that over against Aliaksandra Sasnovich of Belarus.
The American, 34, said she had no problems with her knee on Rod Laver Arena.
The former world number one, who joined fellow seeds Sloane Stephens, Sara Errani and Ivo Karlovic on the sidelines, was stunned in three sets by Kazakhstan’s Yulia Putintseva.
World No. 1 Serena Williams didn’t have an easy day at the office up against the unseeded and looming Italian, Camila Giorgi.
While she said match practice would have been ideal, Williams feels her decision in Perth helped her.
Nishikori’s second-round opponent is the 25-year-old Krajicek, who made short work of Chinese qualifier Wu Di, winning 6-4, 6-1, 6-3 in only his third appearance at a major.
Williams is the highest-seeded player on either side to exit so far.
Serena Williams began her Australian Open campaign with a tough 6-4, 7-5 win over hard-hitting Italian Camila Giorgi.
Now, her focus has returned to tennis and the 21-time Grand Slam victor says she’s fit despite her time off and a recent injury.
It was one of the worst ever Grand Slam performances for Nadal, who also lost in the 2013 Wimbledon first round and has not won a major title since the 2014 French Open.
Even if the American equals Graf’s Open-era record and goes on to beat Court’s all-time mark, Li does not expect her to retire.
The sweet-tasting energy balls were good, but the real question heading into the Australian is whether Djokovic will be able to savor the Calendar Slam this year that he so narrowly missed in 2015? But Djokovic did get through his first-round match without losing a set and ended strong with a fierce forehand to the right corner that Chung had no chance to return.
Li, an Asian trailblazer whose feats sparked a surge in tennis’ popularity across the region, said she missed being on Tour but was content with her new life outside tennis.
“I play very hard, and every player I play seems to play hard”, she said.
Djokovic once had a reputation for quitting matches mid-way due to a variety of ailments, including at the 2009 Australian Open when he retired against Andy Roddick citing cramps, fatigue and dizziness, but definitely not any more.
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Melbourne Park has been a happy hunting ground.
