Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic Reuters

World number one Novak Djokovic has continued his sublime form at the Australian Open, as the defending champion reached the third round of the competition with a straight sets victory over Ryan Harrison of USA.

The Serb posted a 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 win after an hour and 31 minutes at the Rod Laver Arena, justifying his status as the favourite to land his fourth title at Melbourne Park. The 25-year-old will face now 31st seed Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic in the third round.

"I managed to make very important breaks at the start of the match and then I was set up after the first 25 minutes and I had the mental advantage. It is a pity for him - I don't think he played at his best, probably because of the occasion playing on centre court, but I wish him the best - he has a good future," Djokovic told BBC.

"You can see the players are so committed and so professional in every single aspect of their life, especially the guys at the top. We pushing each other and making each other better players. It's that passion for the sport, it is a big challenge to keep performing at this level around the world," the world number one added.

Meanwhile, Djokovic's compatriot and eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic came through a five-set thriller against Lukas Lacko of Slovakia to advance to round three. The 28-year-old held his nerve to pull off a 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 4-6, 7-5 win and will now face 32nd seed Julien Benneteau of France.

Also through is fourth seed David Ferrer, who was pushed to four sets before eventually getting the better of lucky loser Tim Smyczek of America 6-0, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3. The Spaniard will take on 28th seed Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus in the next round.

For the results of the morning session, click here.