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    HIGHLIGHTS-Tennis-Day two at the Australian Open

    Synopsis

    TENNIS-OPEN/HIGHLIGHTS (PIX)=2:HIGHLIGHTS-Tennis-Day two at the Australian Open

    MELBOURNE, Jan 17 (Reuters) - Latest news from the second day of the Australian Open tennis championships on Tuesday (all times GMT):

    1040 MARATHON ON COURT 19

    Croatian Ivo Karlovic and Horacio Zeballos of Argentina were tied up 18-18 in the fifth set of their first-round match on court 19, which is fast approaching the five-hour mark.

    Karlovic has fired 71 aces.

    1042 DJOKOVIC AFTER HIS VICTORY ON ROD LAVER ARENA

    "It feels like home. It feels like coming back to the place where I had an incredible amount of beautiful memories."

    1040 REIGNING CHAMPION DJOKOVIC THROUGH TO SECOND ROUND

    Novak Djokovic launched his bid for a record seventh Australian Open title with an impressive 6-1 7-6(4) 6-2 win over Fernando Verdasco. The Serb ironman faces Ivan Dodig or Denis Istomin in the second round.

    1010 DIMITROV BRUSHES ASIDE O'CONNELL TO ADVANCE

    Bulgarian 15th seed Grigor Dimitrov, aided by a stellar 98 percent first serve points won, had little to sweat over as he beat Australian Christopher O'Connell 7-6(2) 6-3 6-3 in a little over two hours.

    Dimitrov, fresh from winning the Brisbane international, takes on South Korea's Hyeon Chung in the second round.

    0956 PAIRE THROUGH AFTER HAAS RETIRES

    France's Benoit Paire has advanced to the second round as 38-year-old German Tommy Haas sustained an injury and retired from the match shortly after dropping the second set. Paire was leading 7-6 (2) 6-4.

    0905 MONFILS WALTZ PAST VESELY TO PROGRESS

    Flamboyant French sixth seed Gael Monfils secured a routine 6-2 6-3 6-2 victory over Czech Republic's Jiri Vesely to set up a second-round clash with Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov.

    0835 FERRER COMFORTABLY THROUGH TO SECOND ROUND

    David Ferrer had no problem nullifying the threat from the sloppy Omar Jasika, who hit nine winners to go with his 37 unforced errors, as the Spanish 21st seed beat the Australian 6-3 6-0 6-2 in an hour and 25 minutes.

    Ferrer faces American Ernesto Escobedo in the next round.

    0744 OFF COURT, WOZNIACKI SETS SIGHTS ON TORRES, GYLLENHAAL

    "Well, one would be Fernando Torres, the soccer player. I was always a big fan of his. That's one of the only people I've ever gotten star-struck off," she said when asked whom she would like to get a selfie with.

    "I went to a Liverpool game once. They had media. They asked me if I wanted to meet him. I was, like, shaking. I completely blanked on that. So probably him. And then Jake Gyllenhaal. Two very random ones, I know. But there you go."

    0739 STOSUR ON HER SECOND STRAIGHT FIRST ROUND EXIT FROM HER HOME OPEN

    "Yeah, well, it's just disappointing. I mean, you get a bit sick of this feeling. It's one of those things. You're disappointed, you're upset, angry, what could I have done."

    0725 THIEM WOBBLES INTO SECOND ROUND

    Eighth seed Dominic Thiem struggled to convert his break points but survived a first set wobble to come from behind and beat Germany's Jan-Lennard Struff 4-6 6-4 6-4 6-3 in two hours and 54 minutes.

    0710 GASQUET DOWNS MOTT TO ADVANCE

    French 18th seed Richard Gasquet secured a routine 6-4 6-4 6-2 victory over Australia's Blake Mott to set up a second-round clash with Argentina's Carlos Berlocq.

    0652 DETERMINED WOZNIACKI HAMMERS RODIONOVA

    Former world number one Caroline Wozniacki left nothing to chance as she demolished Arina Rodionova, beating the Australian 6-1 6-2 in just over an hour.

    The 17th seeded Dane faces Croatia's Donna Vekic in the second round.

    0645 FISHING SOOTHES THE MIND OF ISLANDER NADAL

    "I think (fishing) is a full package, no? Is not only about fishing. I love the sea. I am from an island. Is not just about fishing. Is about going out with the boat, be in the middle of the sea. I love all these kind of things, no?

    "I love to be a little bit away sometimes with the boat, going out with the boat, to spend the night outside. For me, is something unique. That's make me feel great. I relax myself. I love all the things that I can do on the ocean, on the sea."

    0635 AGUT MAKES QUICK WORK OF PELLA

    Roberto Bautista Agut makes quick work of Guido Pella, with the Spanish 13th seed winning a staggering 97 percent of first serve points to beat the Argentine 6-3 6-1 6-1.

    Agut, who won the Chennai Open earlier this month, face Japan's Yoshihito Nishioka in the next round.

    0621 WATSON BEATS LOCAL FAVOURITE STOSUR

    Heather Watson wins a two hour, 15 minute-tussle with 18th seed Samantha Stosur, who made 47 unforced errors, 6-3 3-6 6-0. The young Brit forces Stosur into long rallies and takes advantage of the Australian's wayward ground shots.

    0555 RAONIC NEEDS NO CALCULATOR TO PLOT PATH TO GLORY

    "I'm not doing the math outside of what's sort of within my control. Right now I was watching a little bit of the guys that I'll play next, and that's pretty much about it," he says.

    "But, yeah, I also watch other aspects of people I know that are in my end of the draw, but also watch guys who aren't. I enjoy watching tennis."

    0543 NADAL GLAD TO AVOID BACK-TO-BACK FIRST ROUND LOSSES

    "It felt great. I am happy to do an interview with you, last year I didn't have the chance! I'm very happy this year, I have had a long period here and it's been a great experience, visiting Brisbane, Sydney and now Melbourne.

    "I have been practicing a lot, this year even a little bit more. I worked on a lot of things in Mallorca. Today was a good first round, he was a tough player to play. He changes the rhythm and you need to be careful on every shot."

    0536 NADAL BRUSHES PAST MAYER

    Rafa Nadal easily avoids back-to-back first round exits, ramping up his serve and rattling off 39 winners to beat Florian Mayer 6-3 6-4 6-1 and advance to the second round. The Spanish ninth seed will next face Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.

    0515 CIBULKOVA STROLLS PAST SLOPPY ALLERTOVA

    Slovakian sixth seed Dominika Cibulkova eased past Denisa Allertova, who hit 47 unforced errors, beating the Czech 7-5 6-2 to progress to the second round, where she will face Taipei's Hsieh Su-Wei.

    0506 GOFFIN TESTED AGAINST AGGRESSIVE OPELKA

    Belgian David Goffin was pushed to his limits by 18-year-old American Reilly Opelka, who hit 65 winners to go with 74 unforced errors, but the 11th seed maintained his composure to clinch the three-hour first round match 6-4 4-6 6-2 4-6 6-4.

    0451 ZVEREV WINS MIND GAMES IN THREE-HOUR BATTLE WITH HAASE

    "I think the mental battle, if you can call it that, was more in the fourth set when I broke him back, and then I broke him right again to win the set. I think he broke down a little bit then," the 24th seeded German said.

    0436 ENGAGED SERENA FOCUSED ONLY ON 23RD GRAND SLAM TITLE

    "I really haven't thought about it too much, because I wasn't even really going to think about it until after the tournament," she said.

    "I just kept saying that February I'll start looking at the bigger picture of my life. But right now I'm just so focused that this is kind of all I can think about."

    0421 VESNINA VOLLEYS HER WAY PAST BOGDAN

    Russian 14th seed Elena Vesnina won an astonishing 91 percent of her net points as she beat Romania's Ana Bogdan 7-5 6-2 in an hour and 22 minutes to progress to the second round.

    0406 OSAKA FEELING THE LOVE AT FLUSHING MEADOWS

    "There was a lot of people supporting me with Japanese flags. So that was really nice to see," the 19-year-old said.

    "I feel like there is probably more people here that are Japanese that support, you know, at this tournament, than, like, the other tournaments. But I'm not sure if I'm just like being crazy or not."

    0351 ACES GALORE AS RAONIC EASES PAST BROWN

    Third seed Milos Raonic hits 18 aces and 46 winners as he wraps up a 6-3 6-4 6-2 victory over Germany's Dustin Brown in an hour and 32 minutes.

    The 26-year-old Canadian, a semi-finalist last year, will next face either Luxembourg's Gilles Muller or American Taylor Fritz.

    0343 KONTA HOPES SYDNEY TITLE A BLESSING IN MELBOURNE

    When asked if she has to put her Sydney Open win to the back of her mind, she says,"You kind of need to, because that's already gone.

    "I think we are also spoiled in tennis in the way that the tour moves on so quickly, and you always have another opportunity the week after. Not many sports can say that. It's both a blessing and a curse."

    0327 SERENA NOT FEELING THE PRESSURE, CREDITS BENCIC

    "Right now I have nothing to lose. I get to travel the world and do what I do best," says the American.

    "It was one of the toughest first-round matches I have ever had to play, so I just really wanted to come out here and to have the crowd support was really nice."

    0318 ZVEREV CLINCHES FIVE-SET THRILLER AGAINST HAASE

    German 24th seed Alexander Zverev is made to work for victory against Robin Haase but eventually edges out the Dutchman 6-2 3-6 5-7 6-3 6-2 in a near three-hour battle at the Hisense Arena.

    0305 WILLIAMS SHOWS LITTLE RUST AS SHE ROMPS PAST BENCIC

    Serena Williams begins her quest to pass Steffi Graf as the all-time Grand Slam leader and win her 23rd title in dominant fashion as the American breezes past Belinda Bencic 6-4 6-3.

    The 35-year-old Williams will take on Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova in the second round.

    0300 PLISKOVA TO RECHARGE BATTERIES WITH SHOPPING THERAPY

    "I always go to the club even, like, if I'm in the tournament, so there is day off, like, tomorrow. Maybe I play doubles or maybe I just hit one hour. Easy really just to rest for the next days.

    "I like shopping, obviously, so I always go to the city. If there is a chance, some nice dinner and nice place to see in the city."

    0245 OSAKA BATTLES PAST KUMKHUM

    Despite hitting 55 unforced errors, an aggressive Naomi Osaka came back from a set down to beat Thailand's Luksika Kumkhum 6-7(2) 6-4 7-5 in two hours and 25 minutes.

    The promising Japanese youngster will face British ninth seed and last year's semi-finalist Johanna Konta in the second round.

    0222 DETERMINED SAFAROVA DOWNS WICKMAYER

    Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova survived nine match points in the second set before beating Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 3-6 7-6 6-1 to advance to the second round, where she will face American second seed Serena Williams.

    0205 CLINICAL SIMON COMFORTABLY THROUGH TO SECOND ROUND

    French 25th seed Gilles Simon easily brushed past Michael Mmoh, beating the young American 6-1 6-3 6-3 in just under two hours in the first round.

    The 32-year-old Simon, who converted six of his eight break points, will face Brazil's Rogerio Dutra Silva.

    0149 KONTA ADVANCES AFTER STRUGGLE AGAINST FLIPKENS

    British ninth seed Johanna Konta overcomes a stuttering start to defeat Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens 7-5 6-2 in 96 minutes as she begins her attempt to go one better than last year when she made the semi-finals.

    0116 PLISKOVA EASES INTO SECOND ROUND

    Karolina Pliskova wastes little time or energy in the blistering conditions to advance to the second round with a 6-2 6-0 victory over Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo in 60 minutes.

    "A little bit nervous but I feel bit much better after the way I won," says the U.S. Open finalist. "The first round of a grand slam is always tough so I'm happy to be through and hopefully the next round will be better.

    "I feel good on the court, especially after I won my first title in the first week of the year. I have been practicing for a week here in Melbourne so I am ready for the tournament."

    0005 PLAY BEGINS ON DAY TWO

    Players have begun warming up on the second day of the season-opening grand slam with the temperature already over 32C (89.6°F) and expect to reach up to 38C. U.S. Open finalist Karolina Pliskova is up first on the main Rod Laver Arena against Spain's Sara Sorribes Tormo before Serena Williams begins her latest quest to move past Steffi Graf on the all-time grand slam title list against the dangerous Belinda Bencic. (Compiled by Greg Stutchbury and Shravanth Vijayakumar, editing by Peter Rutherford/Amlan Chakraborty)



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