Novak Djokovic's hopes of a seventh crown at the Australian Open will be tested when he faces Uzbek Denis Istomin in the second round of the first Grand Slam of the year in Melbourne.
Defending champ Djokovic is off to an impressive start for his Australian Open 2017 campaign after defeating Spain's Fernando Verdasco in their opening round match, 6-1 7-6(4) 6-2. The Serb, who has already faced Verdasco earlier this month in Qatar, hit 24 winners in a match that lasted for two hours and 23 minutes.
"I started really well," Djokovic said, reports the ATP's official website. "[I played a] great first set and a great third set, as well. The second set was a long set with a lot of unforced errors from both sides."
"I'm very pleased with the first round, considering I had one of the toughest first-round draws, definitely considering his form and how well he played in Doha."
The second-seeded Djokovic will next face Istomin, who defeated Croatia's Ivan Dodig in the opening round 6-1 6-4 3-6 7-5. Djokovic has faced Istomin five times in their career head-to-head singles matchup and has never lost a single game against the 30-year-old Uzbek.
The winner of the match will get to meet either Britain's Kyle Edmund or Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta in the third round of the tournament. Carreno Busta beat Canada's Peter Polansky in a grueling five-setter that saw the latter retire hurt in the final set, 6-0 3-6 3-6 6-2 3-0.
Edmund, on the other hand, joined compatriot Andy Murray in advancing into Round of 64 after cruising past Santiago Giraldo of Columbia, 6-2 7-5 6-3.
Meanwhile, sixth seed Gael Monfils also moved into the second round after a three-setter win over Jiri Vesely, 6-2 6-3 6-2, while Marin Cilic, who entered the Aussie Open as at the seventh spot, will face Britain's Daniel Evans after defeating Jerzy Janowicz 4-6 4-6 6-2 6-2 6-3.
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch Australian Open 2017 Novak Djokovic vs Denis Istomin live via AusOpen.com or Watch ESPN. Live scores will be available during game days at the Australian Open's official website.