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Ageless Federer sweeps into Australian Open Round 2

Melbourne - Ageless Roger Federer warmed up for a run at a record seventh Australian Open title on Monday by breezing past Uzbek Denis Istomin to book a spot in the second round.

The 37-year-old Swiss master made light of his assignment on Rod Laver Arena, wrapping up the match 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 as he confidently began his title defence.

"I'm very happy with my first round, to be honest," he said.

"It's been great. I felt the ball really good."

Federer has won the last two tournaments at Melbourne Park in a late career resurgence and is now angling for a 21st major victory.

His achievements so far put him on a par with other six-time winners Novak Djokovic and Roy Emerson - although the Australian great's victories all came before the Open era.

"It's disbelief really that I'm the double defending champion at my age," he said, adding that it was a "fairytale challenge" to be going for another one. 

"I'm going to try everything possible (to win again) and leave it all on the court. I will give it everything I've got."

Federer led from the outset, saying it allowed him to swing freely, particularly since his serve had clicked straight into place at the season-opening Grand Slam.

"When you trust your second serve, you can go after your first serve," he said. "I think I can be happy how I got out of the blocks from the off-season. 

"That's always the most tricky part, because if you don't get broken much, or hardly ever, not at all... you can really try out different things."

Federer came into the tournament in a buoyant mood after teaming with fellow Swiss Belinda Bencic to win a second successive mixed teams Hopman Cup title in Perth this month.

"I served and volleyed in the mixed doubles all the time and spent a lot of time at net," he said.

"I've been feeling good at net for quite some time now."

Istomin caused a massive upset in Melbourne two years ago when he knocked out defending champion Novak Djokovic in the second round, but was no match for the Swiss great.

The writing was on the wall with Federer winning all six of their previous meetings.

"It was great to be back here, I was brought some good energy and played some good shots," said third seed Federer.

The world number three next plays Britain's Daniel Evans, who battled past Japan's Tatsuma Ito in three sets.

Results from Day 1 of the Australian Open on Monday:

Men

Round 1

Mackenzie McDonald (USA) bt Andrey Rublev (RUS) 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4

Radu Albot (MDA) bt Michael Mmoh (USA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2

Fernando Verdasco (ESP x26) bt Miomir Kecmanovic (SRB) 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, 6-3

John Millman (AUS) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2

Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) bt Tennys Sandgren (USA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-4

Karen Khachanov (RUS x10) bt Peter Gojowczyk (GER) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3

Stefanos Tsitsipas (GRE x14) bt Matteo Berrettini (ITA) 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)

Viktor Troicki (SRB) bt Roberto Carballes (ESP) 6-1, 1-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4

Stefano Travaglia (ITA) bt Guido Andreozzi (ARG) 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3, 6-2

Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO x19) bt Christopher Eubanks (USA) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-3

Gael Monfils (FRA x30) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-0, 6-4, 6-0

Taylor Fritz (USA) bt Cameron Norrie (GBR) 6-3, 7-6 (8/6), 6-2

Daniel Evans (GBR) bt Tatsuma Ito (JPN) 7-5, 6-1, 7-6 (10/8)

Kevin Anderson (RSA x5) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1

Frances Tiafoe (USA) bt Prajnesh Gunneswaran (IND) 7-6 (9/7), 6-3, 6-3

Jordan Thompson (AUS) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-1, 7-6 (7/0), 6-3

Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Steve Johnson (USA x31) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3

Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x20) bt Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-4

Pablo Cuevas (URU) bt Dusan Lajovic (SRB) 6-4, 7-5, 6-1

Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) bt Jason Kubler (AUS) 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), 2-6, 6-3

Reilly Opelka (USA) bt John Isner (USA x9) 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6), 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (7/5)

Tomas Berdych (CZE) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR x13) 6-3, 6-0, 7-5

Robin Haase (NED) bt Guillermo Garc1a-Lopez (ESP) 7-5, 6-4, 7-5

Denis Kudla (USA) bt Marc Polmans (AUS) 5-7, 1-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2

Diego Schwartzman (ARG x18) bt Rudolf Molleker (GER) 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0

Alex De Minaur (AUS x27) bt Pedro Sousa (POR) 6-4, 7-5, 6-4

Henri Laaksonen (SUI) bt Mirza Basic (BIH) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-3

Matthew Ebden (AUS) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4

Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt James Duckworth 6-4, 6-3, 7-5

Roberto Bautista (ESP x22) bt Andy Murray (SCO) 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-7 (4/7), 6-2

Roger Federer (SUI x3) bt Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Marin Cilic (CRO x6) bt Bernard Tomic (AUS) 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3)

Women

Round 1

Irina Begu (ROM) bt Andrea Petkovic (GER) 6-7 (3/7), 4-3 retired

Belinda Bencic (SUI) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3

Yulia Putintseva (KAZ) bt Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE x32) 6-4, 7-6 (7/1)

Lesya Tsurenko (UKR x24) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4)

Amanda Anisimova (USA) bt Monica Niculescu (ROM) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4

Katie Boulter (GBR) bt Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) 6-0, 4-6, 7-6 (10/6)

Aryna Sabalenka (BLR x11) bt Anna Kalinskaya (RUS) 6-1, 6-4

Ashleigh Barty (AUS x15) bt Luksika Kumkhum (THA) 6-2, 6-2

Wang Yafan (CHN) bt Ellen Perez (AUS) 6-4, 6-0

Astra Sharma (AUS) bt Priscilla Hon (AUS) 7-5, 4-6, 6-1

Maria Sakkari (GRE) bt Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x22) 6-1, 3-6, 6-2

Maria Sharapova (RUS x30) bt Harriet Dart (GBR) 6-0, 6-0

Rebecca Peterson (SWE) bt Sorana Cirstea (ROU) 6-4, 6-1

Johanna Larsson (SWE) bt Vera Lapko (BLR) 7-6 (7/5), 3-0 retired

Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x3) bt Alison Van Uytvanck (BEL) 6-3, 6-4

Sloane Stephens (USA x5) bt Taylor Townsend (USA) 6-4, 6-2

Timea Babos (HUN) bt Ons Jabeur (TUN) 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3)

Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) bt Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-3, 6-2

Petra Martic (CRO x31) bt Heather Watson (GBR) 6-1, 6-2

Anett Kontaveit (EST x20) bt Sara Sorribes (ESP) 6-3, 6-2

Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 6-1, 6-1

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) bt Monica Puig (PUR) 6-4, 6-3

Kiki Bertens (NED x9) bt Alison Riske (USA) 6-3, 6-3

Danielle Collins (USA) bt Julia Georges (GER x14) 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4

Sachia Vickery (USA) bt Ysaline Bonaventure (BEL) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

Zoe Hives (AUS) bt Bethanie Mattek-Sands (USA) 6-1, 6-2

Caroline Garcia (FRA x19) bt Jessika Ponchet (FRA) 6-2, 6-3

Donna Vekic (CRO x29) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-2, 6-4

Kimberly Birrell (AUS) bt Paula Badosa (ESP) 6-4, 6-2

Beatriz Haddad Maia (BRA) bt Bernarda Pera (USA) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4

Angelique Kerber (GER x2) bt Polona Hercog (SLO) 6-2, 6-2

Petra Kvitova (CZE x8) bt Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) 6-3, 6-2

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