Tennis Photos

Australian Open, Day 1: Djokovic, Federer, Serena, Sharapova Cruise

January 18, 2016 19:20

Defending champions Novak Djokovic and Serena Williams raced into the Australian Open second round Monday as the year's first Grand Slam was rocked by claims of widespread match-fixing in tennis.

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Novak Djokovic's main opponent was the 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) heat as, cooling himself with ice vests on the change-overs, the top seed dispatched Korean rising star Chung Hyeon 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.
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Serena Williams also made a positive return to competitive tennis, four months after a heartbreaking defeat in the US Open semi-finals ended her bid for a rare calendar-year Grand Slam.
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However, the day was overshadowed by a report which said top-50 players, including Grand Slam champions, had repeatedly been suspected of match-fixing without facing action. ATP chief Chris Kermode rejected any suggestion that match-fixing evidence had been covered up or ignored.
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World number one Novak Djokovic said he was approached to fix a match earlier in his career on Monday as allegations of corruption in tennis rocked the start of the Australian Open.
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Roger Federer was also untroubled in his 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 win over Georgia's Nicoloz Basilashvili as he continued his quest for a record-extending 18th Grand Slam title.
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Roger Federer has heard enough speculation about match-fixing in tennis. If players are suspected of corruption, he wants names.
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Maria Sharapova, the women's winner in 2008, beat Japan's Nao Hibino 6-1, 6-3 in just 73 minutes in her first match of the year after a forearm injury forced her out of the Brisbane International.
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Caroline Wozniacki was the biggest casualty on day one. The former world number one was stunned in three sets by Kazakhstan's Yulia Putintseva.
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Canada's Eugenie Bouchard safely reached the second round.
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Bouchard is playing in only her fourth tournament since sustaining a concussion when she fell in the dressing room at last year's U.S. Open.
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Two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova beat Thai qualifier Luksika Kumkhum, avenging her upset loss in the first round here in 2014.
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No. 4 Agnieszka Radwanska beat Christina McHale 6-2, 6-3.
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Jo-Wilfried Tsonga wrapped up play on the first day of the Australian Open with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Marcos Baghdatis in a first-round match featuring two former finalists.
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Japanese star Kei Nishikori brushed aside German Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets to get his Australian Open campaign off to a flying start.
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Nick Kyrgios defeated Pablo Carreno Busta 6-2 7-5 6-2.

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