Novak Djokovic rolled back the years to reach the Australian Open third round on Thursday but Jannik Sinner, the man who has usurped him as king of Melbourne Park, showed why he is favourite to claim a hat-trick of titles as 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka survived an epic to make Grand Slam history.
Women’s defending champion Madison Keys overcame a second-set wobble against Ashlyn Krueger to also advance while former champion Naomi Osaka toned down her outfit but not her power game as she also reached round three.
Iga Swiatek continued her quest to complete her career Grand Slam on a sunny but cooler day five, when the tournament fell briefly silent in the evening to remember the 15 people killed at Bondi Beach last month by gunmen who opened fire on a Jewish festival.
Fourth seed Djokovic, seeking a record-extending 11th Melbourne Park title and 25th Grand Slam trophy overall to break the deadlock with Margaret Court, eased past Italian qualifier Francesco Maestrelli 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
The 38-year-old Serb maintained his steady grip on the second-round clash without needing to shift into top gear.
“I didn’t know much about him (Maestrelli) until a few days ago, it happens more often than not these days,” Djokovic said of his 23-year-old opponent.
He raced through the opening set and pounced again in the opening game of the second set to heap pressure on world number 141 Maestrelli.
The win was Djokovic’s 399th in Grand Slams and his 101st in Melbourne, leaving him one shy of record-holder Roger Federer. Djokovic will next meet Botic van de Zandschulp.
There was something of a retro feel about day five in the men’s singles with Wawrinka outlasting Arthur Gea 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (10/3) to become the first player aged 40 or over to reach the men’s third round at a Slam since Ken Rosewall at the Australian Open in 1978.
He was joined in the next round by another experienced campaigner in the 37-year-old Marin Cilic, who dispatched 21st seed Denis Shapovalov 6-4, 6-3, 6-2.
In Melbourne as a wildcard, Wawrinka pulled heroically through in four hours and 33 minutes against French qualifier Gea. The Swiss former champion is playing his last season before retiring and faces the American ninth seed Taylor Fritz next.
In 2009, Djokovic, Cilic and Wawrinka all reached round three and 17 years later they are still going strong.
The man to beat on blue Melbourne hard courts these days, however, is Sinner. He was supreme as he thumped home wild card James Duckworth 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in the Rod Laver Arena evening session, banging down 18 aces in a dominant display.
Sinner, bidding to join Djokovic by becoming only the second man in the professional era to win three successive Australian Open titles, has now won 12 successive Tour-level matches without dropping a set and looks razor sharp.
“I know how much work I’ve put in so the body feels good and the mind is in a good moment,” he said. The world number two will face American Eliot Spizzirri next.
Men’s fifth seed Lorenzo Musetti won the battle of the Italians on Margaret Court Arena as he beat good friend Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 and will face Czech Tomas Machac next after he overpowered Greek 31st seed Stefanos Tsitsipas 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (7/5).
Eighth-seeded Ben Shelton had few issues against Australia’s Dane Sweeny, the American claiming a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win to set up a third-round meeting with Valentin Vacherot, who defeated Australia’s Rinky Hijikata in four sets.
KEYS STUMBLES ON WAY TO WIN OVER KRUEGER
Keys, the ninth seed in the draw, notched up a 6-1, 7-5 win over fellow American Krueger but was less than convincing after powering her way through the opening set.
The defending champion allowed doubts to creep into her game in the second set, handing Krueger two breaks on serve with a succession of double faults before battling back to progress to the next round to face Karolina Pliskova.
Melbourne is where Keys made her Grand Slam breakthrough 12 months ago and since her return people have been asking her how confident she is about retaining the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.
“Whether or not I do repeat it,” she said, “I still get to keep Daphne at home!”
In another all-United States clash, sixth seed Jessica Pegula made light work of her doubles partner McCartney Kessler in a rapid 6-0, 6-2 win to set up a meeting with Russia’s Oksana Selekhmeteva, who upset 2025 semifinalist Paula Badosa 6-4, 6-4.
Another ruthless winner was Wimbledon runner-up Amanda Anisimova — 6-1, 6-4 against the Czech Katerina Siniakova — and the fourth seed will next face American compatriot Peyton Stearns.
Second seed Swiatek, who has won six major titles but never been successful in Melbourne, was in cruise control against Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-3 as she shrugged off the sluggishness of her first-round match with a much more lively display.
“It felt great playing today, I felt more free than in the first round so I wanted to go for it,” Swiatek said.
Osaka, champion in 2019 and 2021, ditched the parasol, veil and broad-brimmed hat for her walk-on against Romania’s Sorana Cirstea but continued making waves in her jellyfish-inspired outfit, battling to a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 win.
There was no love lost between the two players though with a frosty exchange at the net after match point with Cirstea upset by Osaka’s antics. “[There were] apparently a lot of ‘come ons’ that she was angry about,” Osaka said. “She’s a great player. I think this was her last Australian Open. So sorry she was mad about it.”
Fifth seed Elena Rybakina beat Varvara Gracheva in straight sets but 10th seed Belinda Benic was stunned by qualifier Nikola Bartunkova in three sets.
