Australian Open 2018: Tuesday Results, Highlights, Scores Recap from Melbourne

Novak Djokovic enjoyed a successful return to the court on Tuesday as he overcame Donald Young 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 in the first round of the 2018 Australian Open. 

So too did Stan Wawrinka, who like Djokovic had not played since Wimbledon last year because of injury, but he beat Ricardas Berankis 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (2) in Melbourne.

Women's world No. 1 Simona Halep, Johanna Konta and Angelique Kerber were also among those in action on Tuesday, and all three progressed in straight sets against Destanee Aiava, Madison Brengle and Anna Lena Friedsam, respectively.

For more highlights and the full set of results, visit the Australian Open's official website.

Tuesday Recap

An elbow injury had kept Djokovic out of action for the back half of 2017, and the Serbian has had to alter his serving style to ease the pressure on the joint.

Nevertheless, he made a fast start to the match, per tennis writer Tumaini Carayol:

A poor, error-strewn showing from Young made life easier for the 14th seed than he might have expected, but he was able to capitalise fully and claimed 11 of the first 12 games.

The American improved somewhat toward the end and managed to break Djokovic as he attempted to serve out the second set, but it was a comfortable first round for the 12-time Grand Slam winner.

Wawrinka, who underwent knee surgery in the summer, had a more difficult time against Berankis, who hit back after the Swiss had eased through the first two sets.

The Lithuanian claimed the third and went 3-0 up in the fourth, but Wawrinka produced some sumptuous tennis as he fought back to prevent the match from going all the way, per the Open's official Twitter account:

Local favourite Aiava raced to a shock 5-2 lead against Halep, but an off-court medical timeout proved to be the turning point for the 17-year-old, who appeared fatigued and out of sorts upon her return to action.

That allowed Halep to battle back and take the opener on a tiebreaker, though there was concern for the Romanian early in the second, per Eurosport UK:

Halep was able to continue, though, and the injury scare did not stop her from playing some superb tennis as she closed out a 7-6 (5), 6-1 win over her young opponent:

Konta and Kerber each needed just 66 minutes to dispatch Brengle and Friedsam.

The Brit dominated her American opponent in a 6-3, 6-1 victory, as she broke Brengle five times and hit 37 winners, per the Open's official website.

Kerber was comprehensive in the first set against her German compatriot as she raced to a bagel, and then successfully navigated some sterner resistance in the second to win 6-0, 6-4.