Federer subdues hard-hitting Struff

ByReuters

Published 18/01/2018 at 12:49 GMT

MELBOURNE, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Defending champion Roger Federer needed to knuckle down to end the feisty challenge of hard-hitting German Jan-Lennard Struff with a 6-4 6-4 7-6(4) win in the second round of the Australian Open on Thursday.

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Federer coasted through the opening sets under the lights at Rod Laver Arena but was dragged into a scrap in the third as the 55th-ranked Struff broke his serve and took the match into a tiebreak on a steamy night.

Struff saved a match point with a searing backhand down the line but fell on the second when Federer crunched a huge serve into the corner.

Federer will meet French 29th seed Richard Gasquet for a place in the last 16 as he continues his bid for a 20th grand slam title. (Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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