Roger Federer set a grand slam record more than 14 years in the making as potential quarter-final opponent Andy Murray signalled he’s still an Australian Open threat despite a long lay-off.
Four-time Open champion Federer, three-time finalist Murray and 2008 runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga all had straight-sets first-round wins on Tuesday.
Sydney International champion Juan Martin Del Potro, the fifth seed, also progressed.
Federer outclassed Australian James Duckworth 6-4 6-4 6-2 to begin his 57th consecutive major in style.
In doing so, the 17-time grand slam champion broke the open-era record of 56 straight he shared with South African Wayne Ferreira.
Ferreira’s last slam, the 2004 US Open, resulted in a first-round straight-sets exit at the hands of Lleyton Hewitt and he retired within months.
But 32-year-old Federer, who has reached at least the semi-finals of the past 10 Australian Opens, is far from finished.
The sixth seed’s run of 36 straight quarter-finals or better at the majors ended with his second-round loss at Wimbledon and fourth-round defeat in the US Open last year, the two most recent slams.
But Federer’s new head coach Stefan Edberg flew into Melbourne on Monday declaring he wants to guide Federer to a grand slam title this year.
And after what he rates as one of his best off-seasons for years, the Swiss is confident.
“The way I entered this tournament now is very different, so it’s in the past,” he said of the Wimbledon and US Open results.
“I’m looking into the future, I have worked hard, put in the hard work, I feel good and I want to show, prove to myself, that I can bring it every match.”
Federer was proud of his record for grand slam longevity, despite noting in past eras it wasn’t customary for players to regularly compete in all four majors.
“I’m proud of it in some ways, because there’s no shortcuts in grand slams, he said.
Federer was thrilled to have boyhood idol Edberg on his team, but said during the match he preferred to draw on his own inner strength.
“I realised after a set I didn’t look up once yet, I better check if he’s actually sitting there,” Federer said.
“I did see him; he was wearing sunglasses, okay, he is there.”
French 10th seed Tsonga brushed past Italian Filippo Volandri 7-5 6-3 6-3.
But Murray, recently returned from a three-month absence after spinal surgery, took even less time to dismiss Japan’s Go Soeda 6-1 6-1 6-3.
Men’s winners on Tuesday also included Canada’s 11th seed Milos Raonic, Japan’s 16th seed Kei Nishikori and Bulgarian 22nd seed Grigor Dimitrov, the 22-year-old boyfriend of Maria Sharapova.
But one big name fell, American 208cm 13th seed John Isner, who was trailing Slovakian lucky loser Martin Klizan 6-2 7-6 (8-6) when he withdrew with an ankle injury.
