Azarenka into Australian Open round two

Belarus number one Victoria Azarenka has got off to a good start at the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam tournament this season.

Victoria Azarenka, the current world number 44, needed an hour and 15 minutes to seal a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Sloane Stephens of the United States (32).

The Belarusian will next play Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki (8) who beat American Taylor Townsend 7-6 (7-1), 6-2 in the opener.

Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka have met seven times before, with the Dutch player leading 4-3.

Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka is taking part in the tournament for the tenth time.

Belarusian Olga Govortsova and Alexandra Sasnovich failed to go through the Australian Open qualifying. World number 146 Olga Govortsova lost in the third qualifying round, while Alexandra Sasnovich (145) was eliminated in the opener.

Max Mirnyi, 37, and Spain's Feliciano Lopez, 33, will take on the Australian tandem of Luke Saville and James Duckworth in the Australian Open first round. Max Mirnyi will make his appearance in Melbourne for the 19th time in his playing career. His best achievement so far is the 2007 final in duet will Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden, where the two lost to world number one Bob and Mike Bryan.

The 2015 Australian Open will be over on 1 February.