Djokovic dominates as seeds stroll in Melbourne

By Bill Scott Jan 21, 2012, 10:55 GMT

Melbourne - Holder Novak Djokovic won his 29th match from his last 30 at Grand Slams on Saturday as the top seed strolled into the second week of the Australian Open 6-0, 6-1, 6-1 against hampered opponent Nicolas Mahut.

The Frenchman took the loss on his 30th birthday, with Djokovic never threatened by a heavily taped opponent. After two injury retirements in women's matches in less than 24 hours, Mahut stuck it out until the end.

'Obviously I feel for my opponent, who evidently could not move on the court,' Djokovic said. 'He could not get into the rally two, three strokes. Most people expected him to just retire the match and walk out of the court.

'But he managed to stay. So all the credit for him and happy birthday.

'I think I've played really, really well. Looking at my game, it was fantastic, the serve, the return, all the shots, going to the net. 'I'm happy with the way my first week went here in Australia, and hopefully I can continue the same way in the second one,' added the player who lost only one match at a major in 2011, going down in a dramatic French Open semi-final to Roger Federer.

Two-time finalist Andy Murray held off the serve-and-volley attack of Michael Llodra 6-4, 6-2, 6-0 with the flamboyant Frenchman attempting several between-the-leg returns to no avail.

Murray, loser in the last two finals, next faces number 92 Mikhail Kukushkin, who won a momentum-shifting match with 14th seed Gael Monfils 6-2, 7-5, 5-7, 1-6, 6-4.

Fifth seed David Ferrer started slowly but gained momentum in a defeat of Juan Chela 7-5, 6-2, 6-1.

Two other Frenchmen advanced as 2008 finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga put out Frederico Gil of Portugal 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 and Richard Gasquet stunned ninth seed Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.

In the women's draw, Grand Slam champions Petra Kvitova and Maria Sharapova wasted little effort as the seeded pair advanced by losing just four games between them.

It was one-way traffic for Wimbledon winner Kvitova as she crushed Maria Kirilenko, 6-1, 1-0, the Russian suffering a thigh problem and quitting after 38 minutes.

Sharapova, the fourth seed who won Wimbledon in 2004 and Australia four years later, was unyielding as she put out German Angelique Kerber 6-1, 6-2.

Sharapova has lost just five game in her three matches this week but she was cautious against an unknown opponent.

'I never faced her before, but knew she's been on the big stage. Last Grand Slam she did pretty well. She's beaten good players. In the first set I didn't give her a chance to do what she likes.

'In the second set, it became a bit more of a battle. But I felt like I stepped it up when I had to here and there.'

Sharapova was on and off court in just under 90 minutes after fighting through a second set lasting nearly one hour.

The treble Grand Slam champion Russian struck 34 winners and broke Kerber on six of nine chances and will next play German 14th seed Sabine Lisicki, a winner over Svetlana Kuznetsova 2-6, 6-4, 6-2.

China's Zheng Jie upset French ninth seed Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-3 while former number one Ana Ivanovic defeated American Vania King 6-3, 6-4. Vera Zvonareva, twice a finalist at majors in 2010, lost to Ekaterina Makarova 7-6 (9-7), 6-1.

Five-time winner Serena Williams was untroubled by 32-year-old Greta Arn 6-1, 6-1.