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Melbourne - Swiss 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer won his first match at the Australian Open Monday after coming off a injury-blighted 2016.
Federer downed his one-time junior rival Jurgen Melzer of Austria 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 in 2hr 6min on Rod Laver Arena.
The Swiss 17th seed will now play American qualifier Noah Rubin in the second round.
"It's nice to be playing normal tennis again and I couldn't be happier to be back," said Federer, who missed the second half of last season through injury.
"I hope I can stick around for a bit longer yet."
Federer, at 35, is bidding to become the second oldest man in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam title after Australian Ken Rosewall.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion, playing in his 69th major, is seeded 17 at this year's Australian Open after a knee injury restricted him to just seven Tour events last year.
Federer dropped out of the world's top 10 rankings for first time in 734 weeks or over 14 years last November and his 17th ranking is his lowest position since May 2001.
He fell behind to an early break against Melzer in the opening set but once he gained his playing rhythm he broke back and then again in the 11th game.
Melzer, who grew up in the juniors with Federer, levelled the match taking the second set.
But the Swiss legend whipped through the third set in 28 minutes with the Australian crowd cheering his every winning point.
Federer finished off in style with two breaks of serve to run a convincing winner.
Collated results from the Australian Open on Monday:
Men
1st round
Jeremy Chardy (FRA) bt Nicolas Almagro (ESP) 4-0 ret
Ryan Harrison (USA) bt Nicolas Mahut (FRA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
Tomas Berdych (CZE x10) bt Luca Vanni (ITA) 6-1 ret
Viktor Troicki (SRB x29) bt Damir Dzumhur (BIH) 6-4, 6-4, 2-6, 2-6, 6-3
Alex De Minaur (AUS) bt Gerald Melzer (AUT) 5-7, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-1
Sam Querrey (USA x31) bt Quentin Halys (FRA) 6-7 (10/12), 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 6-4
Mischa Zverev (GER) bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4
Kei Nishikori (JPN x5) bt Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4, 6-7 (6/8), 6-2
Bernard Tomic (AUS x27) bt Thomaz Bellucci (BRA) 6-2, 6-1, 6-4
Victor Estrella (DOM) bt Aljaz Bedene (GBR) 7-6 (9/7), 7-5, 0-6, 6-3
Andy Murray (GBR x1) bt Illya Marchenko (UKR) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2
Andrey Rublev (RUS) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (TPE) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/0), 6-3
John Isner (USA x19) bt Konstantin Kravchuk (RUS) 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5/7), 6-1
Malek Jaziri (TUN) bt Go Soeda (JPN) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
Diego Schwartzman (ARG) bt Pablo Cuevas (URU x22) 6-3, 6-3, 6-0
Dusan Lajovic (SRB) bt Stephane Robert (FRA) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3
Marin Cilic (CRO x7) bt Jerzy Janowicz (POL) 4-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3
Alexander Bublik (KAZ) bt Lucas Pouille (FRA x16) 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Noah Rubin (USA) bt Bjorn Fratangelo (USA) 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Lukas Lacko (SVK) bt Albert Ramos (ESP x26) 4-6, 7-5, 1-6, 6-4, 6-3
Dudi Sela (ISR) bt Marcel Granollers (ESP) 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-0
Steve Johnson (USA) bt Federico Del Bonis (ARG) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) bt James Duckworth (AUS) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4
Andreas Seppi (ITA) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 7-5
Nick Kyrgios (AUS x14) bt Gastão Elias (POR) 6-1, 6-2, 6-2
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x12) bt Thiago Monteiro (BRA) 6-1, 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2
Karen Khachanov (RUS) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (11/9), 6-3
Jack Sock (USA x23) bt Pierre-Hugues Herbert (FRA) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3
Dan Evans (GBR) bt Facundo Bagnis (ARG) 7-6 (10/8), 6-3, 6-1
Roger Federer (SUI x17) bt Jurgen Melzer (AUT) 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Stan Wawrinka (SUI x4) bt Martin Kližan (SVK) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4
Steve Darcis (BEL) bt Samuel Groth (AUS) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Women
1st round
Irina Begu (ROM x27) bt Yaroslava Shvedova (KAZ) 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
Samantha Crawford (USA) bt Lauren Davis (USA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
Garbine Muguruza (ESP x7) bt Marina Erakovic (NZL) 7-5, 6-4
Shelby Rogers (USA) bt Simona Halep (ROM x4) 6-3, 6-1
Mona Barthel (GER) bt Destanee Aiava (AUS) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)
Monica Puig (PUR x29) bt Patricia Tig (ROM) 6-0, 6-1
Varvara Lepchenko (USA) bt Kiki Bertens (NED x19) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5)
Duan Yingying (CHN) bt Rebecca Sramkova (SVK) 6-3, 6-4
Julia Goerges (GER) bt Katerina Siniakova (CZE) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Jelena Jankovic (SRB) bt Laura Siegemund (GER x26) 6-1, 1-6, 6-4
Alison Riske (USA) bt Madison Brengle (USA) 7-5, 6-3
Kristyna Pliskova (CZE) bt Viktorija Golubic (SUI) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4
Sorana Cirstea (ROM) bt Irina Khromacheva (RUS) 6-2, 6-1
Anastasija Sevastova (LAT x32) bt Nao Hibino (JPN) 6-4 ret
Kristina Kucova (SVK) bt Christina McHale (USA) 6-4, 6-0
Venus Williams (USA x13) bt Kateryna Kozlova (UKR) 7-6 (7/5), 7-5
Natalia Vikhlyantseva (RUS) bt Vania King (USA) 6-3, 6-2
Jaimee Fourlis (AUS) bt Anna Tatishvili (USA) 6-4, 6-3
Zhang Shuai (CHN x20) bt Aliaksandra Sasnovich (BLR) 6-0, 6-3
Pauline Parmentier (FRA) bt Misaki Doi (JPN) 7-5, 7-5
Coco Vandeweghe (USA) bt Roberta Vinci (ITA x15) 6-1, 7-6 (7/3)
Ashleigh Barty (AUS) bt Annika Beck (GER) 6-4, 7-5
Stefanie Voegele (SUI) bt Kurumi Nara (JPN) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Elina Svitolina (UKR x11) bt Galina Voskoboeva (KAZ) 6-0, 6-2
Julia Boserup (USA) bt Francesca Schiavone (ITA) 6-2, 6-4
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS x24) bt Evgeniya Rodina (RUS) 6-1, 7-6 (7/2)
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x8) bt Mariana Duque (COL) 6-0, 6-1
Angelique Kerber (GER x1) bt Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) 6-2, 5-7, 6-2
Carina Witthoeft (GER) bt Eri Hozumi (JPN) 7-5, 7-6 (8/6)
Peng Shuai (CHN) bt Darya Kasatkina (RUS x23) 6-0, 7-6 (7/5)
Carla Suarez (ESP x10) bt Jana Cepelova (SVK) 6-2, 6-2
Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) bt Louisa Chirico (USA) 6-0, 6-4
