Defending champion Roger Federer served straight through Denis Istomin to win their first round encounter at the Australian Open, securing a 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory on Monday evening.
Istomin, of Uzbekistan, has twice reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam, and proved to be a worthy combatant from the back-of-the-court, equipped by a heavy, aggressive baseline game.
But the Swiss’ mountainous serve proved too big an obstacle for his opponent to climb, which meant the title contender was rarely challenged on his own service games.
Federer will now play British qualifier Dan Evans, ranked 189 in the world, in the second round.
Men’s results on Monday:
6-Marin Cilic (CRO) beat Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-2 6-4 7-6(3)
Mackenzie McDonald (USA) beat Andrey Rublev (RUS) 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4
Radu Albot (MDA) beat Michael Mmoh (USA) 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-2
26-Fernando Verdasco (ESP) beat Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) 7-6(5) 6-3 6-3
22-Roberto Bautista Agut beat Andy Murray (GBR) 6-4 6-4 6-7(5)
(ESP) 6-7(4) 6-2
John Millman (AUS) beat Federico Delbonis (ARG) 6-3 3-6 7-6(3)
6-2
Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) beat Tennys Sandgren (USA) 6-4 7-6(5) 4-6
6-4
10-Karen Khachanov (RUS) beat Peter Gojowczyk (GER) 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-3
14-Stefanos Tsitsipas beat Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 6-7(3) 6-4 6-3
(GRE) 7-6(4)
Viktor Troicki (SRB) beat Roberto Carballes Baena 6-1 1-6 2-6 6-1
(ESP) 6-4
Stefano Travaglia (ITA) beat Guido Andreozzi (ARG) 6-7(3) 6-2 6-3
6-2
19-Nikoloz Basilashvili beat Christopher Eubanks (USA) 6-4 4-6 7-6(6)
(GEO) 6-3
30-Gael Monfils (FRA) beat Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-0 6-4 6-0
Taylor Fritz (USA) beat Cameron Norrie (GBR) 6-3 7-6(6) 6-2
Daniel Evans (GBR) beat Tatsuma Ito (JPN) 7-5 6-1 7-6(8)
3-Roger Federer (SUI) beat Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-3 6-4 6-4
5-Kevin Anderson (RSA) beat Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-3 5-7 6-2 6-1
Frances Tiafoe (USA) beat Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND) 7-6(7) 6-3 6-3
Jordan Thompson (AUS) beat Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-1 7-6(0) 6-3
Andreas Seppi (ITA) beat 31-Steve Johnson (USA) 6-4 4-6 6-4 6-3
20-Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) beat Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 4-6 6-3 6-1 6-4
Pablo Cuevas (URU) beat Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-4 7-5 6-1
Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) beat Jason Kubler (AUS) 6-4 7-6(1) 2-6
6-3
Reilly Opelka (USA) beat 9-John Isner (USA) 7-6(4) 7-6(6)
6-7(4) 7-6(5)
Tomas Berdych (CZE) beat 13-Kyle Edmund (GBR) 6-3 6-0 7-5
Robin Haase (NED) beat Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-5 6-4 7-5
(ESP)
Denis Kudla (USA) beat Marc Polmans (AUS) 5-7 1-6 6-2 6-3
6-2
18-Diego Schwartzman (ARG) beat Rudolf Molleker (GER) 6-1 6-3 4-6 6-0
27-Alex De Minaur (AUS) beat Pedro Sousa (POR) 6-4 7-5 6-4
Henri Laaksonen (SUI) beat Mirza Basic (BIH) 6-4 7-6(4) 4-6
6-3
Matthew Ebden (AUS) beat Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 1-6 6-4 6-3 6-4
2-Rafael Nadal (ESP) beat James Duckworth (AUS) 6-4 6-3 7-5
Women’s results on Monday:
8-Petra Kvitova (CZE) beat Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 6-3 6-2
Irina-Camelia Begu (ROU) beat Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-7(3)
(Retired)
Belinda Bencic (SUI) beat Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-4 2-6 6-3
Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) beat 2-Barbora Strycova (CZE) 6-4 7-6(1)
24-Lesia Tsurenko (UKR) beat Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4 7-6(4)
(RUS)
Amanda Anisimova (USA) beat Monica Niculescu (ROU) 7-6(3) 6-4
Katie Boulter (GBR) beat Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 6-0 4-6 7-6(6)
11-Aryna Sabalenka (BLR) beat Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) 6-1 6-4
15-Ashleigh Barty (AUS) beat Luksika Kumkhum (THA) 6-2 6-2
Yafan Wang (CHN) beat Ellen Perez (AUS) 6-4 6-0
Astra Sharma (AUS) beat Priscilla Hon (AUS) 7-5 4-6 6-1
Maria Sakkari (GRE) beat 22-Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) 6-1 3-6 6-2
30-Maria Sharapova (RUS) beat Harriet Dart (GBR) 6-0 6-0
Rebecca Peterson (SWE) beat Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 6-4 6-1
Johanna Larsson (SWE) beat Vera Lapko (BLR) 7-6(5)
(Retired)
3-Caroline Wozniacki (DEN) beat Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 6-3 6-4
5-Sloane Stephens (USA) beat Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-4 6-2
Timea Babos (HUN) beat Ons Jabeur (TUN) 7-6(5) 7-6(3)
Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) beat Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-3 6-2
31-Petra Martic (CRO) beat Heather Watson (GBR) 6-1 6-2
20-Anett Kontaveit (EST) beat Sara Sorribes Tormo (ESP) 6-3 6-2
Aliaksandra Sasnovich beat Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-1 6-1
(BLR)
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova beat Monica Puig (PUR) 6-4 6-3
(RUS)
9-Kiki Bertens (NED) beat Alison Riske (USA) 6-3 6-3
Danielle Collins (USA) beat 14-Julia Goerges (GER) 2-6 7-6(5) 6-4
Sachia Vickery (USA) beat Ysaline Bonaventure (BEL) 2-6 6-4 6-4
Zoe Hives (AUS) beat Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-1 6-2
(USA)
19-Caroline Garcia (FRA) beat Jessika Ponchet (FRA) 6-2 6-3
29-Donna Vekic (CRO) beat Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-2 6-4
Kimberly Birrell (AUS) beat Paula Badosa Gibert (ESP) 6-4 6-2
Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) beat Bernarda Pera (USA) 6-3 5-7 6-4
2-Angelique Kerber (GER) beat Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-2 6-2
