Novak Djokovic made a dazzling start to his Australian Open defence yesterday but his close rival Andy Murray was slower off the blocks and home hope Samantha Stosur became the first big name to fall.
Djokovic powered past Italian Paolo Lorenzi 6-2, 6-0, 6-0, in a victory so comprehensive he even won a point with an audacious trick shot between his legs.
By contrast Murray was embarrassed by a near-identical party-piece from Ryan Harrison before subduing him 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt ground out a trademark late-night, four-hour marathon 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 win against 83rd-ranked German Cedrik-Marcel Stebe to set up a second-round match with Andy Roddick.
But Australia’s US Open champion Stosur became a major casualty as she froze in front of her home fans, allowing Romania’s Sorana Cirstea to record a famous straight-sets win.
Five-time champion Serena Williams moved into the second round in the early hours with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Austria’s Tamira Paszek as Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and glamorous Russian Maria Sharapova, the 2008 Open winner, both started strongly.
2008 runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga went through alongside fellow French seeds Gael Monfils and Richard Gasquet.
However, Djokovic looked the pick of the men’s players as the Wimbledon and US Open champion launched his pursuit of a third straight grand slam title in style.
Leading 3-0 in the third and standing on the baseline, Djokovic turned his back to the court and clipped a shot between his legs to the flummoxed Lorenzi, who embarrassingly netted.
It was a sign of overflowing self-belief in the Serb, who won 10 of 11 finals and went 70-6 last year in a season described by some as the best in tennis history.
“I just have more confidence that I’m playing on right now. I just believe that I can win, especially against the biggest rivals in the major events,” Djokovic said.
Stosur, who has only won one match in three tournaments this year, all in Australia, put in an error-strewn performance as she became the latest women’s grand slam champion to fail in her very next major.
“There’s not any other word for it but disappointment,” she said.
Meanwhile, second seed Kvitova and Sharapova, the world number four, made convincing starts at sun-drenched Melbourne Park.
Kvitova raced past Russia’s Vera Dushevina 6-2, 6-0 and Sharapova pummelled Gisela Dulko 6-0, 6-1 in less than an hour.
Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi, who won the Brisbane tournament, beat Sweden’s Johanna Larsson 6-2, 6-4 to reach the second round.