LEAD: Djokovic, Murray post easy wins into third round

By Bill Scott Jan 19, 2012, 8:12 GMT

Melbourne - Champion Novak Djokovic and 2011 finalist Andy Murray both took easy steps ahead at the Australian Open on Thursday as the seeded pair posted rapid-fire victories into the third round. World number one Djokovic, winner of 10 titles including three of the fourth Grand Slams last season, was dominating in his victory against Santiago Giraldo of Colombia 6-3, 6-2, 6-1.

Fourth seed Murray, playing his first major under the eye of new coach Ivan Lendl, dismantled Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in a shade under two hours..

Djokovic was pleased to be on and off court efficiently.

'A win is a win, however it comes to you,' said the Serb. 'This is a Grand Slam, the most prestigious one of the four most prestigious tournaments in our sport, and everybody has a lot of motivation to perform their best, especially on the centre court, on the big stage. 'Santiago came out early hitting the ball quite flat. But I knew that sooner or later he's going to drop the rhythm and I just have to hang in there. I did a good job.'

Murray jumped on his inexperienced opponent and was barely challenged.

There was much more of a struggle for Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer, who won a battle against American Ryan Sweeting 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3.

French sixth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, losing 2008 finalist at Melbourne Park to Djokovic, overcame Brazil's Ricardo Mello 7-5, 6-4, 6-4.

'I'm happy, it's always good to win. I'm still in the tournament and I have a third round to play now,' said Tsonga. 'Maybe the condition here are good for me.

'It's pretty warm and the surface, it's not really quick, not really fast. So maybe it's good for my game.' Serb ninth seed Janko Tipsarevic held off Australian James Duckworth 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 and Canadian Milos Raonic stopped German Philipp Petzschner 6-4, 5-7, 6-2, 7-5

In the women's draw, second seed Petra Kvitova got out of trouble after losing the second set and trailing 0-2 in the third to finally stop Carla Suarez Navarro 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.

Fourth seed Maria Sharapova wasted no time in schooling American Jamie Hampton, laying down a 6-0, 6-1 win.

Sharapova, who played her first event of the season after delaying her start by a fortnight because of a lingering ankle injury, required a surprisingly long 64 minutes to score the victory against an opponent who won just a single game.

'When you haven't played someone before, it's more a matter of how you're playing and how you're figuring out about her game from the beginning rather than thinking too much of what is she going to do,' said Sharapova, whose 2008 title in Melbourne is one of her three Grand Slam wins.

Sharapova next faces German Angelique Kerber, who beat Canada's Stephanie Dubois 7-5, 6-1.

Russian seventh seed Vera Zvonareva took out Czech Lucie Hradecka 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) while former number one Ana Ivanovic beat Dutchwoman Michaella Krajicek 6-2, 6-3.

Serena Williams overcame a lack of recent match practise as the five-time champion powered into the third round 6-0, 6-4 over Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.

Williams, playing the event for the first time since her 2010 title, won the 500th match of her career as she went past the Czech in 68 minutes in only her second match since rolling her ankle in Brisbane on January 4. Before that, she last appeared on court as she lost the US Open final to Australian Samantha Stosur.

German 14th seed Sabine Lisicki beat Shahar Peer 6-1, 6-2 while Vania King of the US put out number 15 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.