Defending champion Roger Federer served straight through Denis Istomin to win their first round encounter at the Australian Open, securing a 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory on Monday evening.

Istomin, our compatriot, has twice reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam, and proved to be a worthy combatant from the back-of-the-court, equipped by a heavy, aggressive baseline game.

But Federer proved too big an obstacle for Istomin to climb.

Swiss professional tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 3 in men’s singles tennis by the Association of Tennis Professionals will now play British qualifier Dan Evans, ranked 189 in the world, in the second round.