Roger Federer through to the second round with straight sets win over Yen-Hsun Lu

Roger Federer celebrates his win over Yen-Hsun Lu in the first round

Roger Federer began his bid for a fifth Australian Open title in solid fashion as he beat Chinese Taipei’s Yen-Hsun Lu 6-4, 6-2, 7-5 to reach second round at the Australian Open. Lu was tested in the third game of the first set, but managed to hold his serve after Federer skied couple of backhand returns. Federer broke Lu’s serve in the fifth game after holding his serve to love in the previous game. The Swiss served for the set at 5-4 and Lu tested Federer severely in the second point in what was the longest rally of the game, but Federer came through unscathed and went on to win the next two points to claim the set 6-4.

Both players held their serve in the first four games, but Lu was down 0-40 in the fifth game. Lu saves two break points after Federer’s forehand goes long and Lu hits a brilliant forehand winner down the line. However, Lu lost the game after he netted his backhand return. The 17-time Grand Slam champion got his second break of the set in the seventh game as he dictated points from the back of the court. Lu had two break point chances in the eighth game, but Federer found a way out of it to take the set 6-2.

The third set was a lot tighter as there were no breaks of serve until the eleventh game, when Lu was 0-40 down. Federer capitalised on it to lead 6-5 and served out the set 7-5 to move into the second round.

Federer will face Italian Simone Bolelli in the next round.