Novak Djokovic delivered a serving masterclass as he registered his 100th victory at the Australian Open with a straight-set win over Spain’s Pedro Martinez.
The world number four, who is bidding for a standalone record 25th Grand Slam singles title, only dropped five points out of 57 on serve across a two-hour exhibition of serving excellence.
The 38-year-old produced eight holds to love, only lost one point in each of the second and third sets and won 93% of points behind his first serve – all while maintaining a first-serve percentage of 77%.
The 10-time champion fittingly closed out the win with his 14th ace of the night, triumphing 6-3, 6-2, 6-2.
Mark Woodforde, a 17-time Grand Slam doubles champion, hailed Djokovic’s serving as “supreme” and “exceptional” on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra but the Serb offered a more understated assessment of his performance.
“Tonight’s performance was great, I can’t complain about anything. I served very well,” said Djokovic.
“It’s always a challenge to kick-start the tournament on the right note and send the right signal not only to yourself but your opponents watching you play.
“I have a couple of days without a match to recover my body. I’m using every hour to get in shape for the next challenge.”
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