Pablo Carreno Busta became the first player to advance to the third round at the 2018 Australian Open when Tata Open Maharashtra champion Gilles Simon retired while trailing 2-6, 0-3.

Carreno Busta reaches his fifth consecutive Grand Slam third round, after reaching the quarter-finals and semi-finals at Roland Garros and the US Open, respectively last year. Simon led 2-1 in the first set and held a total of four break points in Carreno Busta’s first two service games, but the No. 10 seed won the next eight games before Simon retired.

The pair entered their second-round encounter with an even 2-2 FedEx ATP Head2Head series record, with Simon winning their only previous match on hard court in straight sets (2016 Shanghai). The Frenchman entered the season’s first major with momentum after earning his first ATP World Tour title since the 2015 Open 13 Marseille (d. Monfils). In Pune, Simon beat three Top 20 players in the ATP Rankings, including World No. 6 Marin Cilic in the semi-finals.

Carreno Busta will play No. 23 seed Gilles Muller, who survived a tremendous comeback by Malek Jaziri 7-5, 6-4, 6-7(5), 3-6, 6-2 to win two matches in a row for the first time since July 2017 (Atlanta).

For a moment, it appeared that Jaziri would come back from two sets down for the second match in a row after defeating Salvatore Caruso in that fashion on Monday. After failing to break Muller in the first three sets of the match, the Tunisian snuck out the third-set tie-break before breaking on his fourth opportunity in his opponent’s first service game of the fourth set — his eighth chance overall. And with his forehand catching fire from the baseline, Jaziri stormed ahead with the momentum, losing just two more points on serve in the rest of the set to force a decider.

Muller, who last season won his first ATP World Tour title immediately before the Australian Open at the Sydney International, entered the first Slam of the year in 2018 having gone 4-7 in his past 11 matches. He also had never lost a set in two previous FedExATP Head2Head meetings against Jaziri. Yet suddenly, after coming within a game — twice — of advancing to the third round in straight sets, Muller was in deep trouble, falling behind a break at 0-1 in the fifth set.

But the 34-year-old, competing for the 12th time in the Australian Open main draw, broke Jaziri twice in a row to right the ship. While the World No. 100 earned five break points trailing 1-3, Muller gave him little opportunity to take advantage, using his pinpoint left-handed serve to end points or allow him to control them with his forehand. After four hours, two minutes and on Muller’s fourth match point, Jaziri shuttled a backhand down the line wide to end the back-and-forth battle.

While Muller defeated Carreno Busta at the 2015 Australian Open, the Spaniard beat Luxembourg’s star player in last season’s Millennium Estoril Open final to win one of his three ATP World Tour titles. He also leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head series 2-1 against the crafty left-hander.

The top two players in the ATP Rankings, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer, have been nominated for Laureus World Sports Awards following a vote by the world’s sports media. The superstars will compete against silver medal-winning athlete Mo Farah, cyclist Chris Froome and Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year, which will be announced on 27 February in Monaco.

Nadal rose from year-end No. 9 in 2016 to finish 2017 atop the ATP Rankings, doing so for the fourth time in his career (2008, 2010, 2013). The Spaniard became the oldest player to finish year-end No. 1 (since 1973) at 31, and was also the first to end the year in the top spot in non-consecutive years on four occasions.

Federer has also been nominated for the Laureus World Comeback of the Year category for winning two Grand Slams as well as three ATP World Tour Masters 1000 trophies after missing six months in 2016 due to a knee injury. The Swiss is a four-time Laureus Award winner, and could add to his collection with a record fifth and sixth honour.

Defending champion Roger Federer started his 2018 campaign for a sixth Australian Open crown on Tuesday night with a confident, masterful performance on Rod Laver Arena.

The World No. 2, who is competing in his 19th tournament at Melbourne Park, defeated Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 40 minutes. The Swiss star is now 88-13 lifetime at the first Grand Slam championship of the year.

Federer will next challenge Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff, who hit 45 winners, including 19 aces, past wild card Soonwoo Kwon of South Korea in a 6-1, 6-2, 6-4 victory in 77 minutes.

Federer broke Bedene’s serve in the fourth game in the first set and won 16 of his 20 first-service points, including three straight love holds. The 36-year-old broke seized control of the match with a break at the start of the second set to leave Bedene winless in six appearances in Melbourne.

Twelve months ago, Federer beat Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final and won seven trophies overall in 2018.

“I am hoping for another good year,” said Federer, who has won 20 Grand Slam championships. “I am not sure it will go that well because I’m a year older, Rafa’s looking in tip-top shape and others guys are coming back.

“Last year was a fairytale and I can’t control everything. I am hoping to stay healthy and give myself chances and hope to play my very best in the big matches.”