TENNIS: Record hunter Djokovic mows down Maestrelli in Melbourne

The fourth seed, who is chasing a record-extending 11th Australian Open title and 25th Grand Slam trophy overall, never needed to go into top gear as he maintained control throughout the match.

Djokovic quickly set the tone in the opening set by breaking Maestrelli in the second game. He then struck again early in the second set, breaking in the first game to put heavy pressure on the world No. 141.

Maestrelli had limited chances and failed to take advantage of them. Djokovic moved closer to victory after creating set point with an acrobatic backhand and sealing the set with an unreturned shot from the same side. The win also brought Djokovic closer to a major milestone — his 399th Grand Slam match victory and his 101st at the Australian Open, just one behind Roger Federer’s record.

Maestrelli showed resilience in the third set when he recovered a break after falling behind, but Djokovic quickly regained control and finished the match confidently.

With the win, Djokovic advances to the third round, where he will face either Botic van de Zandschulp or Juncheng Shang. -Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Melbourne; Editing by Michael Perry/Reuters