The third-seeded Osaka set the tone in the first game by belting three aces, one on a second serve down the tee. Osaka defeated Garcia in two straight sets (6-2, 6-3) in the match that lasted for 61 minutes. Osaka had clinched her first-round match on Monday after defeating Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in straight sets 6-1, 6-2.

Earlier in the day, American tennis star Serena Williams stormed into the third round of the tournament as she emerged triumphant in her second-round fixture.

Williams outclassed Serbia’s Nina Stojanovic 6-3, 6-0 in the second round and she wrapped up an easy straight-sets victory.

The 39-year-old showed no tentativeness and she was on her game from the very start, not letting her opponent get an upper hand.

Also, World number one Novak Djokovic and US Open champion Dominic Thiem both progressed to the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.

Djokovic outclassed America’s Frances Tiafoe 6-3, 6-7, 7-6 (2), 6-3 to win the second-round match at the Rod Laver Arena while Thiem defeated Germany’s Dominik Koepfer in three straight sets 6-4, 6-0, 6-2 in one hour and 39 minutes.