Six-time champion Novak Djokovic doused big-hitting Spaniard Fernando Verdasco to win the opening match of his Australian Open title defence in Melbourne on Tuesday. The indomitable Serb second seed avoided a potential first-round exit against Verdasco, who knocked out Rafael Nadal in last year's first round.
Djokovic prevailed 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in 2hr 20min on Rod Laver Arena to progress to a second-round encounter with Uzbekistan's Denis Istomin.
"I'm very pleased with the first round, considering I had one of the toughest first-round draws, definitely considering his form, how well he played against me in Doha," Djokovic said.
"I think that I could have drawn an easier player.
"I mean, he's a quality player, a former top 10. He beat Nadal in first round last year here. He's a big match, big-time player."
It was a tricky first-up match for the 12-time Grand Slam champion, who had lost to the Spaniard in four of their previous 13 meetings.
But Djokovic's greater consistency and composure in the pressure moments of an intense match won him the day.
"I think from one perspective it was good that I got to have the very tough first-round match," he said.
"It made me prepare better and approach this match and the tournament with the right intensity right from the blocks, right from the first point."
Verdasco has not beaten the Serb for almost seven years, with his last triumph in the quarter-finals at Rome in 2010, although he held five match points in their most recent meeting this month in Doha before Djokovic went on to win the tournament.
Djokovic is seeded to face Brisbane International winner Grigor Dimitrov in the fourth round, powerful Austrian eighth seed Dominic Thiem in the quarters and Canada's big-serving third seed Milos Raonic in the semi-finals in the bottom half of the men's draw.
He can take outright ownership of the record for Australian titles if he wins for a seventh time. The Serb is currently tied with Australia's Roy Emerson on six.
Djokovic got off to a flyer with a double service break to clean up the opening set for the loss of just one game in 31 minutes.
Both players traded service breaks in four straight games before the second set went to a tiebreaker. Djokovic's greater consistency and Verdasco's erratic groundstrokes gave the Serb the tiebreaker and a 2-0 sets lead.
"He was on top of it. I just didn't want to give him too much of a chance to step in and kind of dictate the play. In second set, it was very close," Djokovic said.
Djokovic cranked it up in the third set, breaking Verdasco's opening service which he carried through to win on his first match point.
Collated results from the Australian Open on Tuesday:
Men's singles 1st round
Donald Young (USA) bt Thomas Fabbiano (ITA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), 6-4; Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER x32) bt Nikoloz Basilashvili (GEO) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4; Alexander Zverev (GER x24) bt Robin Haase (NED) 6-2, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2; Francis Tiafoe (USA) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 6-1, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 6-2; Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) bt Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) 6-3, 3-0 ret; Rafael Nadal (ESP x9) bt Florian Mayer (GER) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4; Roberto Bautista (ESP x13) bt Guido Pella (ARG) 6-3, 6-1, 6-1; Yoshihito Nishioka (JPN) bt Alex Bolt (AUS) 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, 6-4; Gilles Simon (FRA x25) bt Michael Mmoh (USA) 6-1, 6-3, 6-3
Rogerio Dutra Silva (BRA) bt Jared Donaldson (USA) 3-6, 0-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-4; Gilles Muller (LUX) bt Taylor Fritz (USA) 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/5), 6-3; Milos Raonic (CAN x3) bt Dustin Brown (GER) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; Dominic Thiem (AUT x8) bt Jan-Lennard Struff (GER) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3; Andrew Whittington (AUS) bt Adam Pavlasek (CZE) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3; Radek Stepanek (CZE) bt Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) 6-2, 7-6 (7/1), 6-3; David Goffin (BEL x11) bt Reilly Opelka (USA) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4; Carlos Berlocq (ARG) bt Radu Albot (MDA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 5-7, 7-6 (10/8); Richard Gasquet (FRA x18) bt Blake Mott (AUS) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Pablo Carreno-Busta (ESP x30) bt Peter Polansky (CAN) 6-0, 3-6, 3-6, 6-2, 3-0 ret; Kyle Edmund (GBR) bt Santiago Giraldo (COL) 6-2, 7-5, 6-3; Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr. (UKR) bt Borna Coric (CRO) 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (9/7); Ernesto Escobedo (USA) bt Daniil Medvedev (RUS) 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-1; David Ferrer (ESP x21) bt Omar Jasika (AUS) 6-3, 6-0, 6-2: Jordan Thompson (AUS) bt Joao Sousa (POR) 6-7 (2/7), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 Hyeon Chung (KOR) bt Renzo Olivo (ARG) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2; Gael Monfils (FRA x6) bt Jiri Vesely (CZE) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2; Novak Djokovic (SRB x2) bt Fernando Verdasco (ESP) 6-1, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2; Denis Istomin (UZB) bt Ivan Dodig (CRO) 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5; Grigor Dimitrov (BUL x15) bt Christopher O'Connell (AUS) 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 6-3; Ivo Karlovic (CRO x20) bt Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 6-7 (6/8), 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 22-20; Benoît Paire (FRA) bt Tommy Haas (GER) 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, 0-0 abandon. Fabio Fognini (ITA) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP x28) 7-5, 6-3, 7-5
Women's singles 1st round
Karolina Pliskova (CZE x5) bt Sara Sorribes (ESP) 6-2, 6-0; Anna Blinkova (RUS) bt Monica Niculescu (ROM) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 Jelena Ostapenko (LAT) bt Zhu Lin (CHN) 6-4, 6-0 Yulia Putintseva (KAZ x31) bt Lara Arruabarrena (ESP) 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (12/10); Elena Vesnina (RUS x14) bt Ana Bogdan (ROM) 7-5, 6-2; Mandy Minella (LUX) bt Magda Linette (POL) 7-5, 6-4; Heather Watson (GBR) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS x18) 6-3, 3-6, 6-0; Alize Cornet (FRA x28) bt Myrtille Georges (FRA) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1; Maria Sakkari (GRE) bt Anett Kontaveit (EST) 6-0, 6-4; Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x6) bt Denisa Allertova (CZE) 7-5, 6-2; Hsieh Su-Wei (TPE) bt Karin Knapp (ITA) 6-3, 2-0 ret; Sara Errani (ITA) bt Risa Ozaki (JPN) 7-5, 6-1; Ekaterina Makarova (RUS x30) bt Ekaterina Alexandrova (RUS) 6-0, 4-6, 6-1; Caroline Wozniacki (DEN x17) bt Arina Rodionova (AUS) 6-1, 6-2; Donna Vekic (CRO) bt Lizette Cabrera (AUS) 7-5, 6-2; Naomi Osaka (JPN) bt Luksika Kumkhum (THA) 6-7 (2/7), 6-4, 7-5; Johanna Konta (GBR x9) bt Kirsten Flipkens (BEL) 7-5, 6-2; Oceane Dodin (FRA) bt Cagla Buyukakcay (TUR) 7-5, 6-7 (1/7), 6-2; Caroline Garcia (FRA x21) bt Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4; Nicole Gibbs (USA) bt Timea Babos (HUN x25) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4; Irina Falconi (USA) bt Han Xinyun (CHN) 6-1, 7-5; Lucie Safarova (CZE) bt Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 3-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-1; Serena Williams (USA x2) bt Belinda Bencic (SUI) 6-4, 6-3; Ana Konjuh (CRO) bt Kristina Mladenovic (FRA) 6-4, 6-2; Danka Kovinic (MNE) bt Zheng Saisai (CHN) 6-0, 6-4; Timea Bacsinszky (SUI x12) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-4, 3-6, 7-5; Jennifer Brady (USA) bt Maryna Zanevska (BEL) 6-3, 6-2; Daria Gavrilova (AUS x22) bt Naomi Broady (GBR) 3-6, 6-4, 7-5; Barbora Strycova (CZE x16) bt Elizaveta Kulichkova (RUS) 6-3, 6-2; Andrea Petkovic (GER) bt Kayla Day (USA) 6-3, 6-2; Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x3) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (BUL) 6-1, 4-6, 6-1; Mirjana Lucic-Baroni (CRO) bt Wang Qiang CHN) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.
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