World No.1 Novak Djokovic will take on American Frances Tiafoe in the second round of the Australian Open after cruising past veteran Jeremy Chardy in a straight-sets masterclass.
Djokovic beat Frenchman Chardy 6-3 6-1 6-2 in 91 minutes at Rod Laver Arena on Monday night, with the head-to-head record for the pair now standing at 14-0.
The 17-time grand slam winner was so dominant he didn't even face a break point during the match.
Djokovic was thrilled with the display, and the eight-time Australian Open winner clearly thrived off the energy from the fans.
"It's an ongoing love affair with this court, me and Rod Laver Arena," Djokovic said during his on-court interview after the match.
"I wanted to start off well tonight, first match, night session, one of the most special courts on the tennis tour that we have around the world.
"It's definitely my most successful and favourite court over the years. Every time I step on this court I relive those memories.
"It makes my heart full to see the crowd in the stadium again.
"I'm really glad to see a lot of people. This is the most people I've seen on the tennis court in 12 months. Sometimes we take these things for granted, but I'm grateful to see a crowd back again."
Djokovic had been the centre of controversy after airing his frustrations at the quarantine conditions players were forced to endure leading up to the Australian Open.
But the Serbian didn't appear to be affected by the strong criticism one bit, with his performance against Chardy sending an ominous warning to his rivals.
Djokovic is yet to face off against world No.64 Tiafoe in an ATP match, but he'll start as hot favourite to book a spot in the third round.
