Australian Open Wrap: Successful Comeback for Sharapova, Djokovic
World No. 1 Simona Halep and Kerber also advanced to the second round.
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Maria Sharapova, Angelique Kerber and Novak Djokovic made sure that the Day 2 of the Australian Open was all about successful comebacks.
Six-time champion Djokovic and 2014 Australian Open winner Stan Wawrinka returned from long injury layoffs with victories in their first matches since Wimbledon.
One of just two former champions in the women's draw, Sharapova recovered from an early break in the second set and closed out her 6-1, 6-4 victory over Tatjana Maria with an ace at Margaret Court Arena.
The 2008 Australian Open champion and three-time runner-up celebrated by twirling, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd.
Kerber, the 2016 champion, continued her resurgent run with a 6-0, 6-4 win over fellow German Anna-Lena Friedsam. It extended her streak to 10 consecutive wins, including the Sydney International title last week — her first title since the 2016 U.S. Open.
Djokovic tweaked his service motion while recovering from an injured right elbow, and used it to good effect in a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 win over Donald Young, who saved four match points on his own serve but was out in the next game.
Djokovic lost in the second round here last year, but won five of the previous six Australian Open titles.
Wawrinka, who had six months out after surgery on his left knee, beat Ricardas Berankis 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (2).
No. 4-ranked 4-Alexander Zverev and No. 7 David Goffin advanced, but No. 20 Roberto Bautista Agut lost to fellow Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, a semifinalist here in 2009, and former Wimbledon finalist Milos Raonic lost 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (4) to Lukas Lacko.
Halep, who lost back-to-back first-round matches here in the previous two years, will next play Eugenie Bouchard, the 2014 Wimbledon finalist who beat Oceane Dodin 6-3, 7-6 (5).
Other seeded players advancing included No. 6 Karolina Pliskova, No. 8 Caroline Garcia, No. 16 Elena Vesnina, and No. 29 Lucie Safarova.
Defending champion Roger Federer quickly got into his majestic stride with a straight-sets win over Slovenian Aljaz Bedene in his opening match in the Australian Open.
The 36-year-old Swiss turned the evening clash on Rod Laver Arena into an exhibition as he breezed past Bedene with consummate ease 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
A single break in each set was enough for Federer who looked in total control from beginning to end.
The World Number 2, bidding for a 20th Grand Slam title after claiming his 18th in the Australian Open and 19th at Wimbledon, broke Bedene's serve in the fourth game of the first set in which he conceded only three points on his serve.
Federer pounced immediately at the start of the second to gain another break and cantered through the rest of the match against a player who he had never played before.
One member of the sell-out crowd yelled "Give him a chance Rog" late on but the Swiss was not listening and finished the match on Bedene's serve when his opponent netted a backhand.
(With inputs from AP and Reuters)
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