Roger Federer hurdles Australian Open first-round rival

Melbourne, Australia (4E Sports) – World No. 2 Roger Federer needed just 83 minutes to eliminate Benoit Paire, 6-2, 6-4, 6-1, Tuesday to advance to the second round of the Australian Open at Melboune Park.

“I’m obviously very happy with this first-round match, so total control. He can be a tricky opponent, but I guess his playing style doesn’t disturb me that much overall. I’m happy I was able to play a clean match out there today,” Federer said after the win.

The former No. 1 dominated all areas of the match, winning 75 percent of his service points, breaking Paire six times and taking 25 of 31 points at the net.

The 31-year-old Federer is eyeing to break a tie with Andre Agassi for the most Australian Open titles in the Open Era, with four trophies each. He last won here in 2010 when he defeated Andy Murray.

Later, seventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga joined Federer in the second round after beating countryman Michael Llodra, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2.

Tsonga, the 2008 runner-up, hit 38 winners to 18 unforced errors. He improved his undefeated record over Llodra to 6-0.

Other seeded players — including sixth seed Juan Martin del Potro, ninth seed Richard Gasquet, 12th seed Marin Cilic and 14th seed Gilles Simon – also advanced to the next round.

Cilic upset home favorite Marinko Matosevic, 6-4, 7-5, 6-2, in two hours and 22 minutes while Simon rallied from a set down to defeat Italy’s Filippo Volandri 2-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.

Del Potro, for his part, ousted Adrian Mannarino, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 victory in 76 minutes and

Gasquet beat Spain’s Albert Montanes, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 in one hour and 36 minutes.

In other matches, Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber Steve Darcis, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, to seal a showdown with Amir Weintraub, who beat Argentine Guido Pella, 7-6(2), 7-5, 6-2.

In his first appearance in the main draw of a major event since 2011, Ricardas Berankis defeated Sergiy Stakhovsky, 6-2, 7-6(4), 7-5.

Home favorite Bernard Tomic defeated Argentine Leonardo Mayer, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3, while

Frenchman Gael Monfils ousted Ukrainian No. 18 seed Alexandr Dolgopolov, 6-7(7), 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-3.

On the women’s side, top seed Victoria Azarenka defeated Romanian Monica Niculescu, 6-1, 6-4 while No. 3 Serena Williams served up a double-bagel, blanking Edina Gallovits-Hall, 6-0, 6-0.

Eighth seed Petra Kvitova overcame a second-set defeat to beat Francesca Schiavone, 6-4 2-6, 6-2.

However, seventh seed Sara Errani was not as lucky, falling to Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-4, 6-4.

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