MELBOURNE: Roger Federer didn't waste any time Monday at the Australian Open, winning his opening match by playing like a man who doesn't want his remarkable 7 1/2-year run of success in Grand Slams to end. Federer was rarely troubled in beating Lukas Lacko of Slovakia 6-1, 6-1, 6-3 in 84 minutes on the first day at Melbourne Park, barely waiting for ballboys and ballgirls to get back to their positions before serving. The win came at Rod Laver Arena, a stadium named after the player who Federer's main rival here – Rafael Nadal – is trying to emulate. Laver won all four in 1969, a true calendar year Grand Slam. “I tried to play offensive from the start and see where it takes me,” Federer said after his easy victory over Lacko. “I was able to keep on pressing, put him on the back foot. I was really happy I chose that tactic early on to pressure him.” Third-seeded Novak Djokovic, the 2008 champion, was rarely under pressure as he beat Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 with a relentess display of all-court tennis in the night match. Andy Roddick had a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic. The eighth-seeded American is trying to end a Grand Slam drought – his one and only major came at the 2003 US Open. Two other American men had contrasting fortunes in five-setters – No. 18 Sam Querrey lost to Lukasz Kubot of Poland 5-7, 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 8-6, while 16th-seeded Mardy Fish came back from two sets down to beat Victor Hanescu of Romania 2-6, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3. No. 23 Nikolay Davydenko, a quarterfinalist last year, lost 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4 to Florian Mayer. Former world junior champion Thiemo De Bakker served for the match at 5-3 in the third against 12th-seeded Gael Monfils but lost 6-7 (5), 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-1. In other men's results, sixth-seeded Tomas Berdych, who lost the last Wimbledon final to Nadal, beat Marco Crugnola of Italy 6-4, 6-0, 6-2, and 28th-seeded Richard Gasquet of France defeated Canadian qualifier Frank Dancevic 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. Gilles Simon of France beat Lu Yen-hsun of Taiwan 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-4, 6-2 and will next face Federer. Ninth-seeded Fernando Verdasco, who made an impressive run to the semifinals in Melbourne two years ago, beat Rainer Schuettler of Germany 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 and No. 17 Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia defeated Australian wild card entry Peter Luczak 6-3, 6-3, 7-6 (2). Caroline Wozniacki started her first major as the No. 1-ranked woman with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Argentina's Gisela Dulko. It was 20-year-old Wozniacki's first official tournament win of the year, following a straight-sets loss to Slovakia's Dominika Cibulkova last week at the Sydney International and exhibition losses to No. 2 Vera Zvonareva and Kim Clijsters. Fifth-seeded Venus Williams advanced after beating Sara Errani of Italy 6-3, 6-2. The American star is the only Williams sister in the draw this year after defending champion Serena withdrew because of a foot injury. Justine Henin overcame a slow start to beat Indian qualifier Sania Mirza 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. Maria Sharapova won for the first time at Melbourne Park since taking the 2008 title, beating Thai veteran Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-1, 6-3 in the opening match on Rod Laver Arena. French Open champion Francesca Schiavone had difficulty in her first match, beating Arantxa Parra Santonja of Spain 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4. In other women's matches, last year's semifinalist Li Na of China had a 6-1, 7-5 win over Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson and No. 15 Marion Bartoli of France shut out Italy's Tathiana Garbin 6-0, 6-0. No. 20 Kaia Kanepi of Estonia and No. 29 Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia advanced, along with No. 30 Andrea Petkovic, who beat American Jill Craybas 6-1, 6
