Tomas Berdych has started his 2015 Australian Open campaign with a comfortable triumph over Alejandro Falla.
© Getty Images
The seventh seed, who reached the semi-finals in Melbourne in 2014, had to contend with a couple of setbacks in the second and third sets before winning 6-3 7-6 6-3.
Berdych struck in Falla's opening service game to quickly stamp his authority on the contest before coasting through the remainder of the set in 31 minutes.
It appeared as though it would be a similar story in the second, but Falla, who is best remembered for almost beating Roger Federer in the opening round at Wimbledon in 2010, fought back to take the set into a tie-break before the Czech swept into a comfortable advantage.
Falla was proving hard to put away as he once again fought back from a break down midway through the following set but parity didn't last for long as Berdych gave himself an opportunity to serve for the match.
On this occasion, complacency didn't set in and the 29-year-old secured a love hold to set up a meeting with either Jurgen Melzer or Victor Estrella Burgos.
Darren Plant
