MELBOURNE — Novak Djokovic opened his quest for a record seventh Australian Open title and his 15th Grand Slam singles championship with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over American qualifier Mitchell Krueger.
Djokovic had a worry-free win, breaking his opponent in the fifth game of the third set to help ensure he'd finish the match in a tidy 2 hours, 3 minutes.
The No. 1-ranked Djokovic received the luck of the draw when both of his top rivals, No. 2 Rafael Nadal and third-seeded and defending champion Roger Federer, were placed in the other side of draw.