A legend can be down, but never out! Roger Federer proved that again as he won his Australian Open 2017 opening match on Monday at the Rod Laver Arena. The 35-year-old, ranked as low as 17 in the world at the moment, won in four sets against Austria's Jurgen Melzer.
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The battle of the two 35-year-olds saw some of the most competitive tennis and it remained a test of agility for both. Melzer is unseeded in the Aus Open 2017.
The final score of the match was 7-5 3-6 6-2 6-2 Federer.
Federer now have four wins over Melzer in a total of five meetings over the years.
Here's how the match unfolded
1st set
Federer, playing his first Grand Slam after a long hiatus, struggled to get off to a good start. He won the toss and preferred to receive.
Melzer, 35, was visibly the more dominant one. Not only did he win the first game of the match, the Austrian also made sure the legendary Swiss star did not have any easy time at the Rod Laver Arena. Melzer had a better serving percentage and a better return.
Federer did well in levelling the set 4-4 after being down 2-4 on one occasion. The momentum slowly seemed to get the Swiss star going, who's fresh from a knee injury. His returns started getting better along with the drop shots.
From 5-5 to 6-5, Federer looked like he finally found his form back. He quickly picked up three set points and sealed the first set with an ace. Time: 38 mins
2nd set
The returns remained purely vicious from the Swiss maestro. The momentum was catching up. Melzer made a good comeback in the set. From two games down, the Austrian, unseeded in the competition, quickly got a 4-3 lead, on the back of all-round game. He put his agility and stamina to the best use.
The Austrian then incredibly earned a set point following some impressive tennis skills. The backhand shots from Federer did look classy except when it failed. Melzer won the set and looked competitive. Time: 31 mins
3rd set
In terms of first serve percentage and total points won, the Austrian had a competitive edge over Federer. The final two sets, however, saw the vintage Federer at play and this time, his trademark drop shots were doing all the talking. Melzer started the set well, but the Swiss star, serving the set for the first time in the match, clocked a healthy 4-1 lead, winning three game points on the trot.
The long rallies started to come on coupled with the impressive aces from Federer. The set was won in no time! Time: 28 mins.
4th set
The Swiss superstar was at the receiving end of the serve from Melzer in the final game of the match. The Austrian served to stay in the competition but a return gone awry, helped Federer in grabbing the game, the set, and the match.
Off to round 2 for Federer!
Other results from Day 1 evening session
Women's singles: Angelique Kerber 6-2 5-7 6-2 Lesia Tsurenko
Eugenie Bouchard 6-0 6-4 Louisa Chirico
Men's singles: Stan Wawrinka 4-6 6-4 7-5 4-6 6-4 Martin Klizan
Nick Kyrgios 6-1 6-2 6-2 Gastao Elias
