Djokovic enters third round with easy victory

Melbourne: Serbia's world-renowned tennis star Novak Djokovic qualified for the third round of the Australian Open 2026 by defeating Italy's Francesco Maestrelli in straight sets on Thursday.
The match was played at the Rod Laver Arena, where the fourth-seeded Serbian won 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in the singles. He established a strong grip on the court by taking a 3-0 lead in the first set.
Maestrelli showed some resistance, saved multiple break points, and hit three aces with powerful serves, forcing Djokovic to serve for the set. However, the scenario didn't change much in the second set, and Djokovic took the set 6-2 after gaining momentum at 3-2.
In the third set, Djokovic gained complete control over the match. After a tough fifth game, he broke serve to take a 4-1 lead. Maestrelli attempted a comeback in the final stages, but Djokovic's accuracy and consistency proved decisive, and he capitalized on the Italian player's errors to wrap up the match.
Discussing his relatively unknown opponent, Djokovic said: "This often happens to me these days. Nevertheless, the respect remains, and I never underestimate anyone. He has a big serve and lacks experience on the big stage, but he has the potential in his game to move forward and climb the rankings. I wish him all the best."
Djokovic will face the Netherlands' Botic van de Zandschulp in the third round. Meanwhile, China's Wang Xinyu staged a remarkable comeback to secure a spot in the third round, becoming the only Chinese player to reach the women's singles draw's last 32. She trailed by a set and a break but won 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in two hours and 20 minutes.
Wang, ranked 46th in the world, is China's highest-ranked player in Melbourne following Zheng Qinwen's withdrawal from the tournament. She has high expectations, although she has yet to advance beyond the fourth round in a Grand Slam.
Wang entered the tournament in good form, having finished as the runner-up to Elina Svitolina in her second career final in Auckland. She defeated qualifier Angelina Kalinina in straight sets in the first round. However, former world number three and 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko took the lead after a hard-fought first set and gained control of the match with backhand winners at the net.
In the second set, Wang was significantly behind but made a strong comeback, winning four consecutive games to level the score. The 24-year-old player took a crucial break in the eighth game to lead 5-3, although she couldn't close out the match on serve, ultimately emerging victorious.
Wang will now face 13th seed Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, who defeated Australian wild card Tayla Preston 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
On the other hand, Chinese qualifier Wu Yibing's journey ended in the second round, where his comeback attempt against America's Eliot Spizzirri was unsuccessful. After losing the initial two sets, Wu took the match to the fifth set, but Spizzirri won 6-2, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 4-6, 6-3. The match lasted three hours and 43 minutes.