Djokovic Cruises Past Maestrelli at Australian Open

Novak Djokovic glided through his second-round match at the Australian Open, dismantling Francesco Maestrelli 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 under the Melbourne sun. The 10-time champion, playing just his second event since clinching his 101st tour title in Athens last November, covered the court with effortless precision, his heavy topspin forehands landing deep to dictate every exchange. At 38, he showed no trace of rust, turning the qualifier’s enthusiasm into a one-sided affair that lasted under two hours.

In the opening set, he notched his 100th match win at this tournament, fending off pressure before converting on his seventh set point after 47 minutes of probing rallies. His serve proved impenetrable, winning 86 percent of first-delivery points—43 out of 50—as crosscourt returns from Maestrelli often floated long. The Italian, a 23-year-old qualifier, fought back with flat groundstrokes but couldn’t disrupt the Serb’s rhythm on these grippy hard courts.

When two break points surfaced in his second-set service game, Djokovic responded with a crisp inside-out forehand that induced errors, flipping the momentum back in his favor. Baseline rallies stayed short and sharp, his low slices skidding to jam the young Italian’s backhand, while down-the-line winners opened the court for easy holds. The crowd’s murmurs built into cheers with each unforced error from Maestrelli, the atmosphere thickening as the mismatch became clear.

Baseline dominance builds momentum

Djokovic rarely yielded control from the back of the court, using 1–2 patterns to transition from serve to aggressive forehand approaches that pinned Maestrelli deep. The surface’s moderate speed amplified his topspin, forcing the qualifier to stretch wide and expose his weaker side, where underspin backhands exploited any hesitation. This tactical layering not only secured breaks at will but also conserved energy for the deeper stages, his footwork a silent testament to offseason refinements.

The second and third sets unfolded as a procession, with Djokovic’s serve variations—wide kicks pulling returns off the line—setting up inside-in forehands that ended points quickly. Maestrelli’s early fire dimmed against the veteran’s anticipation, rallies averaging under eight shots as the Serb’s depth neutralized aggressive returns. Fans leaned forward in their seats, the heat wave doing little to slow a player whose mental poise turned potential lulls into dominance.

Milestones and matchups ahead

One more victory pushes him to 400 Grand Slam wins, a record no one else has touched, with Botic van de Zandschulp or Shang Juncheng looming in the third round. Van de Zandschulp, who stunned him at the 2025 Indian Wells Masters to level their head-to-head at 1-1, brings a flat-hitting game that tests reflexes on faster points, though Melbourne’s conditions favor Djokovic’s spin-heavy adjustments. He has never faced Shang, whose explosive athleticism could add unpredictability, but the Serb’s return depth should probe any inexperience.

Deeper into his 21st Australian Open appearance, a quarterfinal against Lorenzo Musetti beckons, the fifth seed who dispatched countryman Lorenzo Sonego 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 by crafting 23 break chances and converting six,according to Stats. Musetti, matching his career-best major run, faces 31st seed Stefanos Tsitsipas or Czech Tomas Machac next, his one-handed backhand slicing elegantly but vulnerable to sustained pressure. Then, the semifinals could pit him against two-time defending champion Jannik Sinner, a clash of eras where Djokovic’s experience might slow the Italian’s flat power with clever underspin.

As the draw compresses, Djokovic’s free-flowing movement signals a man in command, the psychological weight of legacy lifting with each clean strike. Melbourne Park’s energy pulses through him, turning early-round efficiency into a launchpad for another title charge, where every point builds toward that inevitable horizon.