"I felt like I had the game under control" - Federer on first round victory

The Swiss superstar comfortably progressed to the next round of the Australian Open with a routine straight-sets win over Steve Johnson at the Australian Open.

Federer, who beat Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-2, 6-2, is yet to lose in the first round of a Grand Slam since his defeat at the 2003 Roland Garros. And he credited his incredible winning streak to the fact that he became a better player and adapted his game to the opponents he faced in the first round.

“Today, I broke early each set and was able to get on a roll, play freely after that. And also, I felt I had margin. Anything I was doing I felt like I had the game under control. That might not be the case in the next round, so I just think I have to be careful. Round-by-round, point-for-point mentality. I know other guys that are playing extremely well right now so I think it's just important to stay very calm about things right now.”

“Some [first round matches] were close, let's be honest. There are a few that pop up in my mind right away. [But] I think also I became a better player. Thirty-two seeds helped to keep more of those better-ranked players away, as when I came up on Tour there was only 16 seeds and all that," Federer said.

"Then, I guess, I created a game which allowed me to manage maybe all kinds of opponents that were ranked outside of the Top 30 in a first round… I'm happy that I was able to manage those first rounds. As we know, they can always be very tricky. That's why [ATP] Masters 1000 events are tough sometimes. You can play a Top 20 player in the first round and that's when it gets tough."

Federer will face one of Filip Krajonovic and Quentin Halys in the second round.

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