Novak Djokovic moved safely into the third round of the Australian Open with a straight-sets win over Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli, continuing his strong start in Melbourne.
The world number four sealed a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory in just over two hours, booking his place in the last 32 at the tournament for the 19th time in his career. It was also his 101st match win at the Australian Open, leaving him just one behind Roger Federerās all-time record at the event.
While Djokovic did not hit the same level he showed in the opening round, he remained in full control of the match. His first serve proved effective throughout, allowing him to dictate play and keep pressure on his opponent from the baseline.
Maestrelli showed attacking intent and tried to shorten points, but unforced errors often let him down. Djokovic took full advantage, winning nearly half of the points on return and breaking serve six times across the match.
The opening set stayed competitive early on before Djokovic found the breakthrough. He took control after a crucial break and closed the set with confident serving. From there, the momentum stayed firmly with the ten-time champion.
In the second set, Djokovic raised his intensity, breaking early and tightening his grip on the match. Maestrelli continued to fight but struggled to find consistency, as Djokovic calmly closed out another set.
The third followed a similar pattern. Although the Italian managed to pull one break back, Djokovic responded immediately and finished the match without delay, serving out the win comfortably.
With the victory, Djokovic continues his push for another deep run in Melbourne, showing once again why he remains one of the tournamentās most reliable performers.
