Roger Federer began the defence of his Australian Open title with a comprehensive 6-0 6-3 6-0 defeat of Diego Hartfield.
Defending champion begins his title defence in fine style
Roger Federer gave an early warning to his Australian Open rivals with a 74-minute demolition of Diego Hartfield.
Despite not playing any competitive tennis since November, the defending champion began his campaign in Melbourne with a convincing 6-0 6-3 6-0 victory.
The world number one's form and fitness had been in question after he was forced to pull out of the Kooyong Classic last week due to a stomach bug.
However, Federer silenced any doubters in emphatic fashion, putting on a clinical display that featured 38 winners and 11 aces.
Fast start
After seeing second seed Rafael Nadal struggle in his first two sets the previous night, the Swiss star didn't hang about in his opening match, winning the first nine games in a row.
Hartfield, ranked 107 in the world, drew ironic cheers from the crowd in the Rod Laver Arena when he finally managed to hold serve in the 10th game.
He went on to win two more before Federer, who also defeated the Argentine in the opening round of the French Open in 2006, served out for the second set.
The third then turned out to be a procession, Federer breaking his opponent with ease to seal the win in a hurry.
Next up for the top seed is a second-round clash with Frenchman Fabrice Santoro, who saw off the challenge of John Isner in straight sets earlier in the day.
Happy
"I'm happy with my form tonight," Federer said. "The beginning was tough, I knew he had a good serve so it was a bit of a surprise to have such an extreme result.
"I didn't have any lapses mentally and played pretty tough. I served especially well and that is always important for me."
As for his second round match, the Swiss added: "Santoro is a tricky player to play against, he has incredible experience and is a great tactician. But I think I know how to play against him."
