Australian Open 2026: Stan Wawrinka wins epic to join Novak Djokovic and Marin Cilic in third round

While Wawrinka spent nearly eight hours in his first two matches, fourth-seeded Djokovic took a more direct route as he aims to conserve energy in his quest for a record 25th Grand Slam title.

The 38-year-old Serbian player lost only seven matches in a 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 win over Italian qualifier Maestrelli.

He defeated Spaniard Pedro Martinez with the same score on Monday, which is the first time he has not lost a set in the first two rounds at Melbourne Park since 2023.

“I didn’t know much about him until a few days ago,” Djokovic said about Maestrelli, ranked 141 in the world. “This happens very often these days.”

“The respect is always there and I never underestimated him. He has a big serve and a big game, he just lacks a little bit of experience.

“He’s got the game to go far and high in the world rankings and I wish him the same.”

Croatian Cilic was similarly quick against Canadian Shapovalov, winning 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 in just over two hours.

Although he was not at his best with five aces to five double faults and a first serve percentage of 56%, the 2018 final proved decisive in the big moments, converting six of his 12 break points and saving four of the six points he faced.

Shapovalov also helped him commit 42 unforced errors compared to 24 for Cilic, continuing his career without reaching the second week of nine major tournaments.

In the third round, Cilic will face 12th seed Casper Ruud or Spaniard Jaume Munar, while Djokovic will face 30-year-old Dutchman Boteach van de Zandschulp.