Roger Federer (Photo : Getty Images)
Roger Federer hopes to continue his impressive form at the Australian Open 2017 when the Swiss Maestro meets American Noah Rubin in the second round of the first Grand Slam event of the year in Melbourne.
Federer was successful in his first competitive match after being sidelined by a knee injury suffered in Wimbledon last year. The Basel native, who is coming off a lengthy time of the tennis scene to fully recuperate his surgically-repaired knee, showed a glimpse of his injury-free form, hitting 19 aces to defeating Austrian Jurgen Melzer in four sets, 7-5 3-6 6-2 6-2.
"It's nice to be playing normal tennis again and I couldn't be happier to be back," Federer said, reports the First Post. "I hope I can stick around for a bit longer yet."
Federer, who is seeded 17th at the Australian Open this year, will next face Rubin, who edged past compatriot Bjorn Fratangelo in the opening round, 6-7(4) 7-5 3-6 6-2 6-2. Federer and Rubin has yet to compete against each other in a singles match, which could make their Round of 64 battle as intriguing as it could be.
Nevertheless, Federer seemed to have enjoyed his welcome return on the tennis hard court. The Basel native, who is playing his 69th major, admitted he was feeling nervous when the match started, but was happy how he got the victory.
"I'm happy I was made to work today. Actually at the end I'm quite happy how I ended, which is most important... It was great to be out there. I really enjoyed myself, even though it wasn't so simple," Federer said, reports the ATP's official website.
The winner between Federer and Rubin will get to battle either Tomas Berdych or Ryan Harrison. Berdych, who entered the tournament as 10th seed, advanced into the second round after Italian Luca Vanni retired hurt in the second set, while Harrison cruised past French Nicolas Mahut, 6-3 6-4 6-2.
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch Australian Open 2017 Roger Federer vs Noah Rubin live via AusOpen.com or Watch ESPN. Live scores will be available during game days at the Australian Open's official website.
