• ATP Tour

Djokovic eases past Dimitrov in Shanghai

Novak Djokovic was too quick and too strong for Grigor Dimitrov © PA Photos

Enlarge

Related Links

• News: Injured Nadal edging towards return
  
• News: Murray into third round after Mayer withdrawal
  
• News: Novak eyes No. 1 finish to epic year
  
• News: Murray: Ranking secondary to trophies
  
• News: Djokovic bags Beijing hat-trick
  
• News: Nishikori makes history in Tokyo
  

Novak Djokovic made an ideal start to his Shanghai Masters campaign with a resounding 6-3 6-2 victory over Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov.

The five-time grand slam champion, playing the event for the first time since 2010, simply had too much for the 21-year-old, whose variety was no match for the speed and power of the Serbian.

Djokovic, who won his third China Open title in Beijing on Sunday and was given a bye in the first round, shot out to a 3-0 lead as he took Dimitrov's tame serving to task and never looked back.

The No. 2 seed rarely found himself troubled as Dimitrov looked to out-rally him from the baseline, biding his time and punishing the short ball when it came.

Up next for Djokovic is Feliciano Lopez, who ousted No. 16 seed Philipp Kolhschreiber 6-3 6-4.

World No. 1 Roger Federer made a winning return to action in China as he dispatched Lu Yen-Hsun in straight sets. Making his first appearance since the Davis Cup last month, Federer was quickly back into the swing of things as he completed a 6-3 7-5 victory over the world No. 62.

Elsewhere, defending champion Andy Murray was handed a walkover by his second-round opponent Florian Mayer and will face Alexandr Dolgopolov in his first match in Shanghai after the Ukrainian beat Gilles Simon 6-3 6-4.

Beaten Beijing finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga got the better of an entertaining encounter with countryman Benoit Paire, wrapping up a 7-6(7) 7-5 victory with an ace.

Tomas Berdych is also through to the third round after a 6-3 6-3 victory over Italy's Andreas Seppi, while Stanislas Wawrinka was pushed to three sets by Denis Istomin, eventually prevailing 6-4 4-6 6-4.

But Richard Gasquet's hopes of qualifying for the season-ending ATP World Tour Finals were dealt a blow by Radek Stepanek, who knocked out the Frenchman 6-4 6-4.

Both Japan Open finalists also crashed out in three sets. Marcos Baghdatis edged out Canada's Milos Raonic 7-6(4) 6-7(5) 7-6(3) before Sam Querrey recovered from a set down to beat Kei Nishikori 2-6 6-1 6-4.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.