Roger Federer survived an uncharacteristically sloppy display to edge past Igor Andreev in four sets as he began his quest for a fourth Australian Open title.
The world No 1 recovered from losing the opening set and, while not completely convincing, wrapped up the match 4-6, 6-2, 7-6, 6-0 in two hours and 44 minutes.
It was the first time in Federer’s past 25 first-round grand slam matches that he had been taken past three sets. That was testament to some big shot-making from Andreev, the world No 37, whose aggressive style forced the top seed into some unlikely unforced errors.
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After a closely fought battle the turning point of the match came at the end of the third set when Andreev failed to take three set points on his serve, before losing the tie-break.
The Russian, who had taken Federer to five sets in their previous meeting at the 2008 US Open, then meekly conceded the fourth set and the match in quick time.
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“It was a tough third set, I definitely got lucky to get out of that one,” Federer said. “It was a fortunate third set but that’s the way it goes sometimes.
“I prefer easier matches, but this worked.”
Federer conceded the first set after having claimed the opening break. The Swiss immediately handed the advantage back following some loose shots, before Andreev gave himself a chance to serve for the set when he fired back-to-back winners. The 26-year-old made no mistake to take the opener in 41 minutes on the back of ten winners.
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Federer had looked lethargic in the face of Andreev’s free swinging, but raced into a 3-0 lead at the start of the second set and did not let his advantage slip this time.
Andreev, however, continued his full throttle shot-making and his enterprise again unsettled Federer in a pulsating third set. After trading early breaks of serve the pair both failed to serve for the set. Andreev had his chance at 6-5, but passed up three set points as it went to a tie-break, where the Russian was made to pay for his earlier profligacy.
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After Andreev won the opening point of the tie-break Federer reeled off the next five and put his serving woes behind him to sew it up with an ace before Andreev could only fend a powerful serve long on set point.
That capitulation was the beginning of the end for Andreev, who for the first time looked tired as he was immediately broken in the opening game and failed to trouble the scoreboard in the fourth set.
Elsewhere, an angry Robin Soderling blew a two-set advantage over Spain’s Marcel Granollers to crashed out in the first round.
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The world No 8 had been suffering from elbow tendinitis before the tournament but refused to blame the injury for his 5-7, 2-6 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 loss to the 23-year-old Spaniard.
“I didn’t feel good at all,” Soderling said. “I don’t know what happened I just didn’t play well. I started terrible and finished terrible,” he said, adding that the elbow injury had not affected his performance.
Soderling, who ended Rafa Nadal’s four-year grip on the French Open last year, said he would return home immediately and did not have any plans to play again soon. “I don’t know,” he said when asked when his next tournament would be. “Maybe not at all. But we will see. I played a terrible match today and am pretty disappointed.”