With his new instructor and six-time Grand Slam singles champion Boris Becker watching him during the official match for the 1st time, Djokovic appeared tentative early from the Slovakian player, who often appeared content to help keep the ball in play.
But as the 2nd-seeded Djokovic's patience level began to drop, his skill stage stepped up. He stayed on course for just a fifth Australian title that has a 6-5, 7-6 (2), 6-1 acquire, hoping to be the first man for doing that feat since the Open Era began in 1968.
Top-ranked Serena won her 23rd consecutive match -- including 18 right at the end of last season and 4 last week in winning the Brisbane Intercontinental -- after beating Barty 6-2, 6-1 throughout 57 minutes.
"You need to be ready, " Williams claimed that. "She had nothing to get rid of."
Serena continues to be in rarified territory. Her Brisbane title seemed to be the 58th of the girl career -- Williams won 11 last year, including the French Open and U. S. Open. A 5-time winner with the Australian Open, she is trying to end Victoria Azarenka's 2-year run as women's champion at the Melbourne Park.
Williams won 10 of 11 points in the net during the Barty Match, but tried to dowse targets that she'll vacate her usual place in the baseline.
"In my mind I have been at the net (previously), but now I'm physically going there more, " Williams said. "No demand. My next match I will stay at the baseline the full time. It's nothing I'm permanently focusing on. I'm just trying to possess fun and do what I must do out there. "
Djokovic also had the strong finish to 2013, entering the tournament over a 24-match winning streak, that followed his loss to be able to Rafael Nadal in last year's U. S. Open final. He is now also over a 22-match winning streak at the Melbourne Park.
"It may be the first competitive match I've had this year, I haven't played pertaining to five or six weeks, " Djokovic said. "I was a tad rusty on the court the 1st two sets. Afterwards it absolutely was all working well. "
Serena's sister, Venus Williams, began well earlier Monday but unforced errors throughout two key periods throughout her match sent the 7-time major winner out from the tournament.
The elder Williams missed the break-point chance from the 6th game and then, after getting to 40-30 on serve from the ninth, inexplicably fired three consecutive double-faults to surrender the break and just about this set to No. 22-seeded Ekaterina Makarova.
She took a 3-0 lead from the third before her unforced mistake toll climbed to 56 and also Makarova won six with the next seven games for just a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 acquire.
The 33-years-old Venus Williams, the 2nd-oldest player from the tournament, has struggled with injuries and illness in recent seasons but reached the WTA final event at Auckland to start out 2014 and came to be able to Melbourne saying she was feeling a lot better than she had in Years.
"The last 12 months I've had issues, " the lady said. "But this year I definitely am eager for having any good run and feeling well. "
Three-highly-ranked players were beaten from the 1st round, including 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and a couple Italians, No. 7 Sara Errani & no. 12 Roberta Vinci.
Sixth-seeded Kvitova missing 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 to be able to No. 88-ranked Luksika Kumkhum involving Thailand, who was playing within her second Grand Slam competition.
Women's winners included two-time Australian Open finalist Li Na, Wimbledon semi_finalist Kirsten Flipkens, Absolutely no. 9 Angelique Kerber, 2011 U. S. Open champion Sam Stosur, No. 14 Ana Ivanovic, Absolutely no. 26 Lucie Safarova, No. 28 Flavia Pennetta, no. 30 Eugenie Bouchard Absolutely no. 31 Daniela Hantuchova.
Eighth-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka, whom won the recent Chennai Open, was the first man in the next round, advancing after 15 game when Andrey Golubev retired through an injured left leg.
Additional winners were 3rd-ranked David Ferrer, No. 7 Tomas Berdych, Absolutely no. 9 Richard Gasquet, No. 14 Mikhail Youzhny, Absolutely no. 17 Tommy Robredo, Absolutely no. 19 Kevin Anderson, Absolutely no. 23 Ernests Gulbis, No. 29 Jeremy Chardy, Absolutely no. 32 Ivan Dodig and also American Sam Querrey.
In Tuesday, in the more difficult top half the to locate draw, top-seeded Rafael Nadal, Wimbledon champion Andy Murray and Roger Federer are typical in action.
Source::
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