Federer in ominous touch

Melbourne: Ruthless Swiss master Roger Federer on Wednesday said he had "plenty left in the tank" as he kept intact his 20-year record of reaching at least the third round of the Australian Open after crushing Serb Filip Krajinovic.

The six-time champion first played at Melbourne Park in 2000 and has gone on to make the semi-finals or better on 14 occasions, with no exits before round three. The 38-year-old third seed dominated the 41st-ranked Krajinovic 6-1, 6-4, 6-1 on Rod Laver Arena, stretching his record over him to 4-0.

Federer, who is bidding for a seventh title to match Novak Djokovic's record, and his first since 2018, came into the tournament without playing a warm-up event but has nevertheless looked ominous. "Very happy, been a great start to the season," he said as he moved a step closer to a 21st Grand Slam title. "I feel really relaxed on court. I've trained hard and you always hope it pays off."

Asked if he felt sorry for Krajinovic, he replied: "I do feel a bit sorry, but you've got to take advantage of it." Over his two matches so far Federer has dropped just 13 games, and admitted he preferred easy early encounters rather than tough battles to preserve energy. "I prefer this much more than overcooked. As easy as it looks, there's always the effort, trying to extend the lead," he said. "Of course, it's not quite the same stress level if you're down a set or a break or two sets, whatever it may be. I prefer it this way because you have always extra left in the tank if you need it." He faces a tougher assignment next against Australian John Millman, who beat him in four tough sets at the 2018 US Open. "He's fit like a fiddle. I've lost to him in the past... he's from this country so naturally also it's going to be different intensity. I think this is going to be a good test for me." Fifteen-year-old prodigy Coco Gauff set up an Australian Open blockbuster with defending champion Naomi Osaka on Wednesday, as Serena Williams screamed and shouted her way into the third round.

On a day when men's seeds tumbled, Serbia's Novak Djokovic strode towards his eighth Melbourne title and soon-to-retire Caroline Wozniacki lived to fight another day.

American teenager Gauff, showing a tenacity which is becoming her trademark, clawed her way back from a set down to beat the experienced Sorana Cirstea 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Gauff, who bellowed and pumped her fists as she completed her victory, said her "will to win" had got her through the tough second-round match at a windswept Melbourne Park.

"My parents always told me you can always come back -- no matter what the score is," said Gauff, who beat seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in round one. Gauff also beat Williams on her Grand Slam debut last year at Wimbledon, and in another quirk, she faced Osaka in the US Open third round, going down meekly in straight sets. Japan's Osaka, 22, beat China's Zheng Saisai 6-2, 6-4 but briefly lost her cool mid-match, hurling and kicking her racquet when she gave up a break in the second set. "I was thinking that I really don't want to play a third set this time," explained Osaka, who is defending a Grand Slam title for the second time. Former world number one Wozniacki, playing her final tournament before retiring, came from behind in both sets for a 7-5, 7-5 win over Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine. Serena Williams shouted at the top of her voice during a testing second set against 70th-ranked Tamara Zidansek, before seeing off break points to win 6-2, 6-3. "She was a really good fighter -- she did not just let me win," said Williams, who can equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slams if she lifts the trophy.

Earlier, Australia's world number one Ashleigh Barty raced through 6-1, 6-4 against Polona Hercog, buoying hopes of a first home winner since 1978. "It was

very different end to end, I think the wind was a massive factor particularly with the new ball," she said.