Serena Williams, Federer Advance in Australian Open

After her first match, Serena Williams gave herself an A for effort. Focused from the outset, she showed none of the vulnerability some were expecting after her four-month layoff following last year's US Open.

As for her second-round match? Perhaps an A-plus is in store. Williams beat Su-Wei Hsieh 6-2, 6-1 in exactly one hour Tuesday to reach the third round of the Australian Open.

"I was really focused and, you know, that first round really helped me because I was really just fighting," Williams said. "I really gave a big effort there. Today, again, I just wanted to stay focused for the whole time."

Williams ended the match with a scorching down-the-middle ace, her sixth of the second set.

"She's definitely a tricky opponent," Williams said of Hsieh in her on-court interview. "She was a good matchup for me. She can hit any shot at any time from anywhere in the court. I needed that."

No player -- man or woman -- has more Australian Open titles than Williams' six. Last season, she launched her quest for a rare calendar-year Slam with a championship Down Under. Although Williams fell two matches short in New York, she only added to the numbers that make her the most accomplished player of this generation.

It's easy to take what Roger Federer is doing on the court for granted. In his first two news conferences, Federer was peppered with questions about match fixing, Lleyton Hewitt and his fluency in English.

But at 34 years old, the all-time Grand Slam champion is playing some of his finest tennis in years. On Wednesday, he stopped Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-3, 7-5, 6-1 to reach the third round at the Australian Open.

Despite the straight-sets affair, the match was separated by only one break until late in the second. Not surprisingly, the difference in the match was Federer's precise serve. He finished with 25 aces and won a whopping 88 percent of his first deliveries.

"Yeah, I am very happy," Federer said in his on-court interview. "The conditions are very quick, and it can be hard to find a rhythm. I had to serve well, and as the match went on, I started to feel better and better."