MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - A quick look at the Australian Open:
LOOKAHEAD TO WEDNESDAY
Roger Federer plays his second-round match at Melbourne Park and, according to his line of thinking, the first few matches he plays in a Grand Slam tournament are as important as the ones at the pointy end.
“I think for me really the first three rounds are key to get going, to get used to the pressure,” Federer said after his first-round win over Steve Johnson. “Just to stay calm, when to save break-point or 30-all points, or just to stay calm if you’re down a set and a break or whatever it might be.”
The 20-time Grand Slam singles champion will play Filip Krajinovic, who will have little rest ahead of the match. He won a tough five-setter that finished late Tuesday afternoon in a match postponed from Monday.
Federer’s potentially major hurdle on his half of the draw, defending and seven-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, plays Japanese wild-card entry Tatsuma Ito.
Serena Williams takes another step to what she hopes will be her record 24th Grand Slam singles title when she plays Tamara Zidansek. No. 1-ranked Ash Barty will play Polona Hercog as she continues her quest for a second major.
The 48th-ranked Hercog played her first-round match Tuesday after rain washed out her match on Day 1.
Barty said after he first-round win that the pressure of playing at home isn’t as great as trying to stay calm.
“Slams always feel like there’s a lot of chaos going because there’s so many people,” the French Open champion said. “It’s just chaos. When you’re able to separate that … you feel a little bit more comfortable.”
Defending champion and third-seeded Naomi Osaka plays Zheng Saisai.
WEDNESDAY’S FORECAST
Possible late rain. High of 32 Celsius (90 Fahrenheit)
TUESDAY’S WEATHER
Sunny and high of 22 C (71 F)
TUESDAY’S KEY RESULTS
Men’s first round: No. 1 Rafael Nadal beat Hugo Dellien 6-2, 6-3, 6-0; No. 4 Daniil Medvedev beat Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; No. 5 Dominic Thiem beat Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 7-5, 6-2; No. 9 Roberto Bautista Agut beat Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 6-2, 7-5; No. 10 Gael Monfils beat Lu Yen-hsun 6-1, 6-4, 6-2; No. 11 David Goffin beat Jeremy Chardy 6-4, 6-3, 6-1; No. 12 Fabio Fognini beat Reilly Opelka 3-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (5); No. 15 Stan Wawrinka beat Damir Dzumhur 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4; No. 19 John Isner beat Thiago Monteiro 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4), 7-6 (7), 7-6 (5); No. 23 Nick Kyrgios beat Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (1); No. 32 Milos Raonic beat Lorenzo Giustino 6-2, 6-1, 6-3.
Women’s first round: No. 2 Karolina Pliskova beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-1, 7-5; No. 4 Simona Halep beat Jennifer Brady 7-6 (5), 6-1; No. 5 Elina Svitolina beat Katie Boulter 6-4, 7-5; No. 6 Belinda Bencic beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3, 7-5; No. 9 Kiki Bertens beat Irina Begu 6-1, 6-4; No. 10 Madison Keys beat Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-1; No. 17 Angelique Kerber beat Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-2, 6-2; No. 19 Donna Vekic beat Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-4; Ons Jabeur beat No. 12 Johanna Konta 6-4, 6-2; No. 18 Alison Riske beat Wang Yafan 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-3.
STAT OF THE DAY: 366 - new projected WTA ranking for five-time Grand Slam singles champion and former No. 1-ranked Maria Sharapova after her third consecutive first-round loss in a major.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “For me, if I win the Australian Open, I will be the happiest person on the planet. I think that the $4 million Australian will be in much better use in the hands that know what to do with it, and know how to help others.” seventh-seeded Alexander Zverev on the pledge to donate all his prize money if he wins the title to the recovery effort following wild fires that have devastated parts of Australia.
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