Nishikori eases into 2nd round

Melbourne - Japanese star Kei Nishikori brushed aside German Philipp Kohlschreiber in straight sets to get his Australian Open campaign off to a flying start in Melbourne on Monday.

The seventh seed reeled off a 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 win in one hour 55 minutes on a baking Hisense Arena to overcome his first obstacle at the year's opening Grand Slam tournament.

Nishikori, who has yet to get past the quarter-finals in seven previous visits to Melbourne, broke the 34th-ranked German's service four times and had no break points on his own serve.

The 2014 US Open finalist dominated the exchanges with his dynamic all-court game, hitting 35 winners and just 21 unforced errors.

Nishikori opened brightly and only dropped one point in his first three service games.

He held set point on Kohlschreiber's serve and took the opening set in 34 minutes when the German's forehand was long.

The Japanese star broke Kohlschreiber again in the fourth game when he netted a forehand on the way to taking two sets to love lead.

Kohlschreiber double-faulted for another service break early in the final set as Nishikori took charge.

Men

1st rd

Federico Delbonis (ARG) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO x22) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 2-1 (retired)

Austin Krajicek (USA) bt Wu Di (CHN) 6-4, 6-1, 6-3

Kei Nishikori (JPN x7) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4, 6-3, 6-3

Mirza Basic (BIH) bt Robin Haase (NED) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4, 6-4

Daniel Brands (GER) bt Victor Estrella (DOM) 6-4, 7-6 (7/1), 4-6, 6-1

Dominic Thiem (AUT x19) bt Leonardo Mayer (ARG) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6), 4-6, 7-6 (7/0)

Damir Dzumhur (BIH) bt Kyle Edmund (GBR) 1-6, 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-3, 6-1

David Goffin (BEL x15) bt Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4

Women

1st rd

Serena Williams (USA x1) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 6-4, 7-5

Margarita Gasparyan (RUS) bt Sara Errani (ITA x17) 1-6, 7-5, 6-1

Magdalena Rybarikova (SVK) bt Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 3-6, 6-3, 7-5

Anna-Lena Friedsam (GER) bt Lourdes Dominguez (ESP) 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-1

Maria Sakkari (GRE) bt Wang Yafan (CHN) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3

Carla Suarez (ESP x10) bt Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 7-5, 6-4

Nicole Gibbs (USA) bt Klara Koukalova (CZE) 6-2, 2-6, 6-1

Daria Gavrilova (AUS) bat Lucie Hradecka (CZE) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4

Petra Kvitova (CZE x6) bt Luksika Kumkhum (THA) 6-3, 6-1