Roger Federer, Serena Williams highlight Day 3 at Australian Open 2020
Roger Federer plays his second-round match at Melbourne Park and, according to his line of thinking, the first few matches he plays in a Grand Slam tournament are as important as the ones at the pointy end.
A quick look at the Australian Open:
LOOKAHEAD TO WEDNESDAY
Roger Federer plays his second-round match at Melbourne Park and, according to his line of thinking, the first few matches he plays in a Grand Slam tournament are as important as the ones at the pointy end.
"I think for me really the first three rounds are key to get going, to get used to the pressure," Federer said after his first-round win over Steve Johnson. "Just to stay calm, when to save break-point or 30-all points, or just to stay calm if you're down a set and a break or whatever it might be."
The 20-time Grand Slam singles champion will play Filip Krajinovic, who will have little rest ahead of the match. He won a tough five-setter that finished late Tuesday afternoon in a match postponed from Monday.
Federer's potentially major hurdle on his half of the draw, defending and seven-time Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic, plays Japanese wild-card entry Tatsuma Ito.
Serena Williams takes another step to what she hopes will be her record 24th Grand Slam singles title when she plays Tamara Zidansek. No. 1-ranked Ash Barty will play Polona Hercog as she continues her quest for a second major.
The 48th-ranked Hercog played her first-round match Tuesday after rain washed out her match on Day 1.
Barty said after he first-round win that the pressure of playing at home isn't as great as trying to stay calm.
"Slams always feel like there's a lot of chaos going because there's so many people," the French Open champion said. "It's just chaos. When you're able to separate that ... you feel a little bit more comfortable."
Defending champion and third-seeded Naomi Osaka plays Zheng Saisai.
WEDNESDAY'S FORECAST
Possible late shower. High of 32 Celsius (90 Fahrenheit)
TUESDAY'S WEATHER
Sunny and high of 22 C (71 F)
TUESDAY'S KEY RESULTS
Men's first round: No. 1 Rafael Nadal beat Hugo Dellien 6-2, 6-3, 6-0; No. 5 Dominic Thiem beat Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 7-5, 6-2; No. 9 Roberto Bautista Agut beat Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 6-2, 7-5; No. 12 Fabio Fognini beat Reilly Opelka 3-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-3, 7-6 (5); No. 15 Stan Wawrinka beat Damir Dzumhur 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4; No. 16 Karen Khachanov beat Mario Vilella 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4), 6-3; No. 32 Milos Raonic beat Lorenzo Giustino 6-2, 6-1, 6-3; Jannik Sinner beat Max Purcell 7-6 (2), 6-2, 6-4.
Women's first round: No. 2 Karolina Pliskova beat Kristina Mladenovic 6-1, 7-5; No. 19 Donna Vekic beat Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-4; No. 6 Belinda Bencic beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-3, 7-5; No. 10 Madison Keys beat Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-1; Ons Jabeur beat No. 12 Johanna Konta 6-4, 6-2; No. 18 Alison Riske beat Wang Yafan 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-3.
STAT OF THE DAY: 366 — new projected WTA ranking for five-time Grand Slam singles champion and former No. 1-ranked Maria Sharapova after her first-round loss.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I think I'm not the only one — I can speak about my struggles and the things that I've gone through with my shoulder, but it's not really in my character to:" Sharapova on her rankings slide after injuries and lack of match play.