Second seed Rafael Nadal got his Australian Open off to a strong start, defeating 56th-ranked Laslo Djere 6-3, 6-4, 6-1 in one hour, 39 minutes on Rod Laver Arena.
Seeking a second title in Melbourne, the Spaniard hit 19 winners and broke the Serb six times en route to a second round matchup against American Michael Mmoh.
Spaniard eases past Serb to reach round two
Nadal got off to a strong start, taking an immediate 3-0 lead with some strong serving. A brilliant forehand down the line put the Spaniard ahead 5-1 by a double break after breaking to love.
Surprisingly, Djere retrieved one of the breaks and held to cut the deficit to 5-3. After taking a 0-30 lead on Nadal's serve, he watched as the second seed won the next four points to take a one-set lead.
The 20-time major champion broke in the third game of the second set after the Serb netted a backhand to go in front 2-1. Later in the set, Djere then needed a brilliant forehand winner to avoid falling behind by a double break.
As Nadal attempted to serve for a two-set lead, Djere held a 15-40 advantage. Misfiring on the first, he watched as the ball hit the top of the tape and landed out. After watching a third chance come and go, the Serb was behind two sets as Nadal fired an ace on set point.
The 2012 champion seized an immediate break in the third set and after a Djere hold to cut the lead to 2-1, Nadal stormed through the final four games, the world number 56 double-faulted on match point.