Roger Federer beats Denis Istomin in straight sets as he cruises through to Australian Open second round
- Roger Federer beat Denis Istomin in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 on Monday
- The Swiss tennis legend is seeking a record seventh Australian Open title
- The world No 3 will now face Great Britain’s Dan Evans in the second round
Roger Federer’s quest for a seventh Australian Open title will continue this year after he won his first-round encounter.
The Swiss legend proved too good for Denis Istomin as he won in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
The world No 3 is among the favourites to win the first Grand Slam of 2019 and will face Britain’s Dan Evans in the next round.
Roger Federer is through to the Australian Open second round after a straightforward victory
Federer beat Denis Istomin in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in their first-round encounter
The world No 3 will now face Great Britain’s Dan Evans in the next round of the tournament
Playing before a capacity crowd of more than 15,000 at Rod Laver Arena, Federer broke Istomin’s serve at 2-2 in the third set on the way to his seventh win in a row without a loss against the Uzbekistan player.
Federer’s seventh Australian Open title would be the most by any player. Novak Djokovic, who plays his first-round match on Tuesday, and Roy Emerson, also have six wins each at the Australian Open, although Emerson’s wins were before the start of the Open era in 1968.
A win in Melbourne would also be Federer’s 100th tour-level title, the second man after Jimmy Connors to win 100 titles. Connors had 109.
The defeat for Uzbekistan player Istomin was his seventh-straight against Federer