TENNIS: Djokovic eases past qualifier as Keys books third round berth

MELBOURNE — Novak Djokovic cruised past Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday to reach the Australian Open third round, while women’s champion Madison Keys recovered from a shaky second set to also advance.

Fourth-seeded Djokovic, who is chasing a record-extending 11th Melbourne Park title and 25th Grand Slam trophy to tie Margaret Court’s record, controlled the second-round match without needing to push his limits.

“I didn’t know much about him (Maestrelli) until a few days ago. It happens more often than not these days,” Djokovic said about his 23-year-old opponent.

“But the respect is always there and I didn’t underestimate him. He’s got a big serve and a big game, only lacking a bit of experience. He’s got the game to go far and high in the world rankings and I wish him that.”

Djokovic, 38, dominated the opening set and immediately applied pressure in the second by breaking Maestrelli in the first game.

The win marked Djokovic’s 399th Grand Slam match victory and his 101st at Melbourne Park, leaving him one match win shy of record-holder Roger Federer. Djokovic will next face Botic van de Zandschulp.

Musetti Beats Friend Sonego in Straight Sets

Fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti defeated fellow Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 in a match played at Margaret Court Arena. Musetti will next face either Stefano Tsitsipas or Tomas Machac.

“It was not an easy match to prepare, to play, and to deal with because Lorenzo is one of my best friends on tour,” Musetti said.

“We recently had a title together in doubles, so we shared a lot of nice memories, so it’s not easy to separate those things on the court.”

Shelton Advances, Faces Vacherot Next

Eighth seed Ben Shelton had little trouble against Australia’s Dane Sweeny, winning 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. Shelton will face Valentin Vacherot in the third round after the Monaco player defeated Australia’s Rinky Hijikata in straight sets.

Keys Stumbles But Holds On Against Krueger

Women’s defending champion Madison Keys, the ninth seed, secured a 6-1, 7-5 win over fellow American Ashlyn Krueger. After a dominant first set, Keys struggled in the second as Krueger broke her twice amid several double faults.

“I started really well, and I think Ashlyn started a little slow, and then I was fully expecting her to raise her level, which she did,” Keys said.

“Once I kind of got that momentum, I tried to sink my teeth into the set, and do whatever I could to get back into it.”

Keys will next face Karolina Pliskova.

Pegula and Anisimova Move Forward

Sixth seed Jessica Pegula had an easy win over doubles partner McCartney Kessler, defeating her 6-0, 6-2 in 58 minutes. Pegula will face Russia’s Oksana Selekhmeteva in the third round.

Amanda Anisimova also advanced, beating Katerina Siniakova 6-1, 6-4. She will face American Peyton Stearns next.

Play continues on Thursday with defending men’s champion Jannik Sinner taking on Australian wildcard James Duckworth. Women’s second seed Iga Swiatek will play Marie Bouzkova, and two-time champion Naomi Osaka faces Sorana Cirstea.

-Reporting by Michael Church and Shrivathsa Sridhar in Melbourne; Editing by Michael Perry/Reuters