Ivanovic into third round

Ana Ivanovic has booked her place in the third round at the Australian Open after defeating Italian qualifier Alberta Brianti 6-3 6-2 today.

It was a mixed performance by the fifth seed who hit 26 winners but committed the same number of unforced errors in the match at the Rod Laver Arena.

Ivanovic, who made a slow start against Julia Goerges before winning her first round tie 7-5 6-3, got an early breakthrough in the first match of day three when Brianti double faulted to hand the Serbian a 3-1 lead.

But a poor service game, in which she double faulted three times, allowed her opponent to break back immediately.

That seemed to kick-start Ivanovic who breezed through the next game to take a 4-2 lead which soon became 5-2 after a comfortable service game.

The eighth game was the longest of the match as Brianti was taken to deuce eight times before a lucky net cord finally handed her the game.

Ivanovic, last year's beaten finalist, sealed the first set when the Italian, ranked 169 in the world fired a backhand into the net.

Ivanovic broke twice to take a 3-0 lead at the start of the second set but her momentum was halted when Brianti called for a medical time out to get some treatment to her back.

It clearly affected the Serbian who was broken in the next game and although Brianti held her next service game she was no match for her more illustrious opponent who won the next three games to take the set and the match.