Djokovic Starts Quest For Seventh Aussie Title With Stress-Free Victory

Djokovic started his quest for his seventh Australian Open title with a breezy victory over American qualifier Mitchell Krueger.

MELBOURNE — Novak Djokovic opened his quest for a record seventh Australian Open title and his 15th Grand Slam singles championship with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over American qualifier Mitchell Krueger.

Djokovic had a worry-free win, breaking his opponent in the fifth game of the third set to help ensure he'd finish the match in a tidy 2 hours, 3 minutes.

The No. 1-ranked Djokovic received the luck of the draw when both of his top rivals, No. 2 Rafael Nadal and third-seeded and defending champion Roger Federer, were placed in the other side of draw. That means Djokovic could not face either Nadal or Federer until the final on Jan. 27.

Djokovic's highest-ranked opponent in his half of the draw is No. 4 Alexander Zverev, who also won Tuesday.