Defending Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic looked the part on Thursday, easing through to the third round with a convincing win, as did former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.
World number one Djokovic was too strong for Colombia's 56th-ranked Santiago Giraldo reeling off a convincing straight sets 6-3, 6-2, 6-1 win in an hour and 42 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
The Serb, chasing a third consecutive grand slam after winning Wimbledon and the US Open last year, will face Frenchman Nicolas Mahut in the last 32.
"Santiago came out early hitting the ball quite flat. But I knew that, you know, sooner or later he's going to drop the rhythm and I just have to hang in there. I've done a good job," said Djokovic.
The top seed said he enjoyed playing in the Rod Laver Arena, where he has won two of his four grand slam titles.
"It is true from one side that when I step in there I feel that I belong there, that I know what to do, that I feel more confident maybe than the other courts around the world," he said.
Only four men on five occasions have won three or more consecutive grand slams in the Open era - Rod Laver, Pete Sampras, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer twice.
Djokovic was always in command of the match, breaking Giraldo's serve seven times for his second win over the Colombian.
It was the sixth straight year that Djokovic has reached the third round in Melbourne and comes after his stellar 2011 which started with seven straight tournament victories in a 41-match winning streak.
Djokovic, 24, won a career-best 10 titles in 11 finals last year. He defeated world number two Rafael Nadal six times and overall was 21-4 against top-10 opponents.
British fourth seed Andy Murray downed Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin in straight sets to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday.
Twice a finalist in Melbourne, Murray won 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 in less than two hours and will play another Frenchman, Michael Llodra, in the last 32.
Tsonga, a runner-up to Djokovic in 2008, was another convincing winner Thursday, blasting Brazil's Ricardo Mello, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 in just under two hours.
The Frenchman broke Mello's serve five times in setting up a third round encounter with Portugal's Frederico Gil.
Gil eliminated Spanish 26th seed Marcel Granollers 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in two hours, 48 minutes.
Tsonga showed glimpses of his best form, raising hopes of another run deep into the tournament.
"Physically, I feel really good. Last year it was difficult for me because I was a bit injured. This year I don't have injury, so I feel good," said Tsonga, who crashed out in the third round in 2011.
"I'm in good shape. I hope and I expect to play a good tournament."
Tsonga has a liking for the Melbourne hardcourts and improved his match record at the Open to 19-5.
"Maybe the conditions are good for me. It's pretty warm. The surface is not really quick, so maybe it's good for my game," he said.
"I play well here all the time, and it's good for me."
Elsewhere in the men's draw on the fourth day, Serbian ninth seed Janko Tipsarevic came from a set down to oust Australian wild card James Duckworth, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 and big-serving Canadian Milos Raonic downed German Philipp Petzschner in four sets.
Raonic, who thundered down a fastest serve of 225 kilometres per hour, will face Lleyton Hewitt.
Spanish fifth seed David Ferrer, a semi-finalist last year, was taken to five sets by American Ryan Sweeting before prevailing 6-3 in the fifth.
Charismatic Frenchman Gael Monfils recovered from a one set deficit before prevailing 2-6, 6-0, 6-4, 6-2 against Thomasz Belluci.
Viktor Troicki was another seed who perished losing in five sets to Kazakhstani Mikhail Kukushkin.
And in an all-France clash, Julien Benneteau beat the number 12 ranked Gilles Simon 7-5, 7-6, 1-6, 3-6, 6-2.
AFP
Tags: sport, tennis, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted January 19, 2012 18:39:29
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