MELBOURNE, Jan. 22-- First rain, then sun, and now wind, as extreme weather conditions continued at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Wednesday. Destructive gusts of up to 60 kilometres per hour battered the city, adding an additional challenge, especially for those players on outdoor courts. Amid the gales, several big names moved through to the third round, including Roger Federer, Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Naomi Osaka, Caroline Wozniacki and Ashleigh Barty. Federer dominated his unlucky opponent Filip Krajinovic, winning 6-1, 6-4, 6-1. The Serbian's frustration at not being able to dent the old master boiled over in the second set, as he bent his racquet with his foot between games. By contrast, Federer appeared untroubled by the meeting, maintaining his track record of never having missed the third round at an Australian Open. "I'm very happy. It's a great start to the season so far. I'm feeling really relaxed out on court," Federer said after the match. Williams also continued to make short work of her opponents, dispatching Slovenia's Tamara Zidansek 6-2, 6-3, and Djokovic took only slightly longer to beat Tatsuma Ito from Japan, winning 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Osaka progressed despite struggling with frequent spin shots from China's Zheng Saisai, with a final score of 6-2, 6-4. The World No. 3 dropped and kicked her racquet after losing serve in the second set, an unusually emotional display from the softly-spoken Japanese player. |