Federer sets up Millman clash

Federer beat World No.41 Filip Krajinovic 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 to maintain his bid for a seventh Australian Open and 21st Grand Slam title. The Swiss, 38, wrapped up victory over the Serb in 92 minutes. Federer will face Australia's John Millman, who he lost to at the 2018 US Open, after the local lad ended the campaign of Polish 31st seed Hubert Hurkacz.

The Swiss is competing at Melbourne Park for a 21st consecutive year and has reached at least the last 32 on every occasion. "I'm very happy, it's a great start to the season," said Federer. "I'm feeling really relaxed out on court. You train hard and you hope it pays off." Italian eighth seed Matteo Berrettini became the highest-ranked player to exit the first Grand Slam of the year, losing in five sets to Tennys Sandgren.

Berrettini fought back after losing the first two sets but American Sandgren went on to win 7-6(7), 6-4, 4-6, 2-6, 7-5. Sandgren's compatriot Tommy Paul also pulled off a five-set upset when he beat Bulgarian 18th seed Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 7-6(6), 3-6, 6-7(3), 7-6(3). Marin Cilic was another to come through a tense five-setter, beating French 21st seed Benoit Paire 6-2, 6-7(6), 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3).

Meanwhile, sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas did not even have to hit a ball to reach the last 32 after opponent Philipp Kohlschreiber withdrew injured. Organisers said the 36-year-old German had a muscle strain. Greece's Tsitsipas, 21, will face Milos Raonic next after the Canadian saw off Cristian Garin of Chile in straight sets.

Later in the day, Serbian Novak Djokovic strolled past Japanese Tatsuma Ito in straight sets. The World No.2 won by a glossy scoreline of 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.

India's Divij Sharan and his New Zealand partner Artem Sitak progressed to the second round of the men's doubles event but Rohan Bopanna was knocked out of the Australian Open here on Wednesday.

Sharan and Sitak got the better of the Portuguese-Spanish duo of Pablo Carreno Busta and Joao Sousa 6-4, 7-5 in a thrilling one hour and 28 minutes encounter. Partnering Yasutaka Uchiyama of Japan, Bopanna went down to USA's Bryan brothers, Mike and Bob, 1-6, 6-3, 3-6 in a hard-fought one hour and 17 minutes contest.

On Tuesday, India's top-ranked tennis player Prajnesh Gunneswaran had missed out on a chance to play against Novak Djokovic after crashing out in the men's singles opening round.