Ana Ivanovic after her loss to Gisela Dulko, in Melbourne, on Thursday. (AFP)

Melbourne: Roger Federer and Serena Williams were given the royal seal of approval after dazzling performances at the Australian Open on Thursday.

Britain’s Prince William was in the stands at the Rod Laver Arena admiring the Swiss master’s win over Romania’s Victor Hanescu 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 in the second round. Federer later thanked the Prince for attending and shared a private moment with him before Serena Williams and her mother Oracene posed for a photograph with the second in line to the British throne.

Federer’s polished display dispelled any doubts about his prospects of winning the first Grand Slam of the year after he survived a scare in his opening match with Igor Andreev. “It’s still early on in the tournament,” he said.

Serena had earlier joined older sister Venus in the third round as the main contenders continued to move safely through the draw.

Serena had no problems defeating Czech Petra Kvitova 6-2, 6-1 and is steadily improving as she tries to defend the title she won last year while Venus cruised to a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Austria’s Sybille Bammer.

The former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic bowed out after a 6-7, 7-5, 6-4 loss to unseeded Argentine Gisela Dulko while Marcos Baghdatis defeated Spain’s David Ferrer, the 17th seed.

Nikolay Davydenko steam-rollered Ukraine’s Illya Marchenko 6-3, 6-3, 6-0 to maintain his unbeaten start while Hewitt survived a dogged challenge from American Donald Young to win 7-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Meanwhile among the Indians, Mahesh Bhupathi’s reunion with Max Mirnyi began on a disappointing note as the fourth-seeded duo made a stunning first round exit from the Open even as Leander Paes and Sania Mirza notched up wins with their respective partners.

Paes and his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy were the first to take the court and the third seeds didn’t have much trouble in sailing past Czech duo Leos Friedl and David Skoch 6-3, 6-1 in the first round of the men’s doubles. But the new combination of Bhupathi and Belarusian Mirnyi disappointed with a 4-6, 4-6 loss to the unseeded German-Finnish pair of Michael Kohlmann and Jarkko Nieminen.

Tenth seeds Sania and her Spanish partner Virginia Ruano Pascual ended the day with a comfortable 6-4, 6-2 triumph over the unseeded Indonesian-Japanese duo of Yayuk Basuki and Kimiko Date Krumm. (Agencies)

Day IV results

Men’s singles, Round II — Nikolay Davydenko (6, Rus) bt Illya Marchenko (Ukr) 6-3, 6-3, 6-0; Nicolas Almagro (26, Esp) bt Benjamin Becker (Ger) 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 4-6, 6-3; Novak Djokovic (3, Srb) bt Marco Chiudinelli (Sui) 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, 6-3; Juan Monaco (30, Arg) bt Michael Llodra (Fra) 3-6, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-1, 6-3; Marcos Baghdatis (Cyp)bt David Ferrer (17, Esp) 4-6, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3, 6-1; Mikhail Youzhny (20, Rus) bt Jan Hajek (Cze) 6-2, 6-1, 6-1; Lleyton Hewitt (22, Aus) bt Donald Young (US) 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-1; Tommy Haas (18, Ger) bt Janko Tipsarevic (Srb) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 1-6, 6-3; Fernando Verdasco (9, Esp) bt Ivan Sergeyev (Ukr) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (10, Fra) bt Taylor Dent (US) 6-4, 6-3, 6-3; Roger Federer (1, Sui) bt Victor Hanescu (Rom) 6-2, 6-3, 6-2; Albert Montanes (31, Esp) bt Stephane Robert (Fra) 4-6, 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3, 6-2

Women’s singles, Round II — Agnieszka Radwanska (10, Pol) bt Alla Kudryavtseva (Rus) 6-0, 6-2; Gisela Dulko (Arg) bt Ana Ivanovic (20, Srb) 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-2; Carla Suarez Navarro (32, Esp) bt Andrea Petkovic (Ger) 6-1, 6-4; Victoria Azarenka (7, Blr) bt Stefanie Voegele (Sui) 6-4, 6-0; Li Na (16, Chn) bt Agnes Szavay (Hun) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2; Shahar Peer (29, Isr) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (Bul) 6-1, 6-4; Caroline Wozniacki (4, Den) bt Julia Goerges (Ger) 6-3, 6-1; Vera Zvonareva (9, Rus) bt Iveta Benesova (Cze) 6-0, 6-3; Sam Stosur (13, Aus) bt Kristina Barrois (Ger) 7-5, 6-3; Francesca Schiavone (17, Ita) bt Julie Coin (Fra) 6-3, 6-4; Daniela Hantuchova (22, Svk) bt Sofia Arvidsson (Swe) 6-4, 6-1; Venus Williams (6, US) bt Sybille Bammer (Aut) 6-2, 7-5; Alberta Brianti (Ita) bt Sabine Lisicki (21, Ger) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4; Serena Williams (1, US) bt Petra Kvitova (Cze) 6-2, 6-1

Men’s doubles, Round I — Lukas Dlouhy/ Leander Paes (3, Cze/Ind) bt Leos Friedl/David Skoch (Cze) 6-3, 6-1; Michael Kohlmann/Jarkko Nieminen (Ger/Fin) bt Mahesh Bhupathi/Max Mirnyi (4, Ind/Blr) 6-4, 6-4

Women’s doubles, Round I — Sania Mirza/ Virginia Ruano Pascual (10, Ind/ Esp) bt Yayuk Basuki/ Kimiko Date Krumm (Ina/Jpn) 6-4, 6-2