Roger Federer, Naomi Osaka Make Emphatic Starts To 2020 Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia- Roger Federer swatted aside Steve Johnson to race into the Australian Open second round Monday as he kickstarted his bid for a 21st Grand Slam title in immaculate style.

The ageless Swiss great, 38, said ahead of the tournament that he had low expectations at the year's opening Grand Slam after missing the warm-up ATP Cup to spend more time with his family.

It left him short of match practice, but it didn't show on Rod Laver Arena against the American in his 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 demolition.

"I felt really good. I trained really hard, like I always do, and happy I did not have any (injury) setbacks (in the off-season)," said Federer.

"I am happy, I played well in practice and happy it showed on the court as well."

The crowd favourite knew he needed to get out of the blocks fast against the world number 75 and that's what he did, racing to a 4-1 lead in the opening set before a 10-minute interruption for the roof to be shut due to rain.

Federer returned and wrapped up the set in just 27 minutes.

Naomi Osaka began her Australian Open title defence in emphatic fashion, breaking the net with a blockbuster serve as she dismantled unseeded Czech Marie Bouzkova on Monday.

The 22-year-old Japanese, the world's second highest-paid female athlete after Serena Williams, powered through 6-2, 6-4 in 80 minutes.

The two-time Grand Slam champion, one of the prime threats to Williams's bid to win a record-equalling 24th major, will play China's Zheng Saisai in round two.

Thrid seed Osaka saw her victory march held up for a few minutes early in the second set after a fizzing serve clocked at 183 kilometres per hour (114 miles per hour) damaged a net tether at the 15,000-capacity Rod Laver Arena.

"Broke the net today," Osaka tweeted afterwards to her more than 500,000 followers, along with a video of three maintenance personnel rushing onto court to repair the broken fixture.

Osaka, who endured a turbulent 2019 after winning in Melbourne 12 months ago, was relieved to overcome the 59th-ranked Bouzkova safely.

"It was really tough for me trying to control my nerves," she said. "It's tough to play someone you've never played before in the first round of a Grand Slam. I hope I'm still standing here at the end of this week."

Osaka has spoken openly about her struggles with negative headlines and the weight of expectation, but was in relaxed mood throughout.

It was partly because her Haitian father Leonard Francois, who was her coach for back-to-back titles in the autumn in Japan and China, was in her player's box for the first time at a Grand Slam.