Champion Roger Federer escaped the worst of the Melbourne heatwave but had to knuckle down to avoid getting burnt by feisty German Jan-Lennard Struff as he won 6-4 6-4 7-6(4) to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday.

Looking as cool as a cucumber Federer glided through the opening two sets under the Rod Laver lights but was dragged into a scrap in the third as the 55th-ranked Struff went for broke.

The 36-year-old was momentarily knocked out of his stride when he slipped 3-1 down but broke back to take the set into a tiebreak on a steamy night.

Struff saved a match point with a searing backhand down the line but fell on the second when Federer crunched a huge serve into the corner.

Federer will meet French 29th seed Richard Gasquet for a place in the last 16 as he continues his bid for a 20th grand slam title.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-struggling-wawrinkas-early-exit-from-open-29988" target="_blank">Struggling Wawrinka struggles some more, loses to America&#39;s Sandgren</a>

Second seed Federer made no apologies for being scheduled to play during the evening session when the temperature, which peaked at 40 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, had dipped to more manageable levels.

&quot;We know it can be very hot here in Australia. I remember the days when we had four days of 40 degrees in a row a few years back. Now we got two,&quot; he said.

&quot;It&#39;s definitely a challenge. It&#39;s hard to prepare for that in some ways. But you know when you come down here that can happen. I&#39;m happy I played at nighttime. But I would back myself playing during the daytime also.&quot;

Federer broke the Struff serve in the fifth game when he ripped a forehand past the advancing German.

That proved enough to take the first set and he needed just one break, this time achieved with a rasping backhand pass, to claim the decisive break at 3-3 in the second.

Federer could never truly relax though and Struff broke for a 3-1 lead in the third set with some forceful tennis.

His advantage did not last long though as Federer replied in the next game and from then on Federer assumed control.

Federer glided through the opening two sets. The third was a scrap

Champion Roger Federer escaped the worst of the Melbourne heatwave but had to knuckle down to avoid getting burnt by feisty German Jan-Lennard Struff as he won 6-4 6-4 7-6(4) to reach the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday. Looking as cool as a cucumber Federer glided through the opening two sets under the Rod Laver lights but was dragged into a scrap in the third as the 55th-ranked Struff went for broke. The 36-year-old was momentarily knocked out of his stride when he slipped 3-1 down but broke back to take the set into a tiebreak on a steamy night. Struff saved a match point with a searing backhand down the line but fell on the second when Federer crunched a huge serve into the corner. Federer will meet French 29th seed Richard Gasquet for a place in the last 16 as he continues his bid for a 20th grand slam title. Also read: Struggling Wawrinka struggles some more, loses to America's Sandgren Second seed Federer made no apologies for being scheduled to play during the evening session when the temperature, which peaked at 40 degrees Celsius in the afternoon, had dipped to more manageable levels. "We know it can be very hot here in Australia. I remember the days when we had four days of 40 degrees in a row a few years back. Now we got two," he said. "It's definitely a challenge. It's hard to prepare for that in some ways. But you know when you come down here that can happen. I'm happy I played at nighttime. But I would back myself playing during the daytime also." Federer broke the Struff serve in the fifth game when he ripped a forehand past the advancing German. That proved enough to take the first set and he needed just one break, this time achieved with a rasping backhand pass, to claim the decisive break at 3-3 in the second. Federer could never truly relax though and Struff broke for a 3-1 lead in the third set with some forceful tennis. His advantage did not last long though as Federer replied in the next game and from then on Federer assumed control.

Australian Open: Federer struts his stuff, then knuckles down to beat Germany's Struff

For the first time since 1997, &nbsp;Australian Open will be without Williams sisters. Serena Williams is already out following the birth of her daughter and Venus failed to qualify for the next round.

20-year-old <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/australian-open-20-year-old-swiss-belinda-bencic-beats-venus-williams-in-first-round-29535" target="_blank">Belinda Bencic saw off seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams</a> in the first round of Australia Open in straight sets.

Bencic recently featured with 19-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer at the Hopman Cup. He gave her advice and tips to improve the game. She had received a huge confidence boost.

&quot;I think all the week it was so great learning from him on the court or off the court,&quot; Bencic said on Federer.

&quot;Even now, I think it&#39;s amazing he&#39;s giving me advice, trying to give me tips, help me, like, looking how I&#39;m doing. That feels great. I saw him after the match... he was very happy for me,&quot; she added.

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&quot;It feels amazing to have the chance to play against both because I never thought I would ever play against them when I was a little kid.&quot;<a href="https://twitter.com/BelindaBencic?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BelindaBencic</a> on playing both Serena &amp; Venus.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/LNT9dQFRNF">pic.twitter.com/LNT9dQFRNF</a>
&mdash; #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/952779740972122113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Last year is last year. This is, like, a new year. You can&#39;t live in the previous year. It&#39;s impossible,&quot; said Venus Williams after losing.

&nbsp;

Belinda Bencic ranked No-78 beat Venus Williams in straight sets in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday

For the first time since 1997, Australian Open will be without Williams sisters. Serena Williams is already out following the birth of her daughter and Venus failed to qualify for the next round. 20-year-old Belinda Bencic saw off seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams in the first round of Australia Open in straight sets. Bencic recently featured with 19-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer at the Hopman Cup. He gave her advice and tips to improve the game. She had received a huge confidence boost. "I think all the week it was so great learning from him on the court or off the court," Bencic said on Federer. "Even now, I think it's amazing he's giving me advice, trying to give me tips, help me, like, looking how I'm doing. That feels great. I saw him after the match... he was very happy for me," she added. "It feels amazing to have the chance to play against both because I never thought I would ever play against them when I was a little kid."@BelindaBencic on playing both Serena & Venus.#AusOpen pic.twitter.com/LNT9dQFRNF — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 15, 2018 × "Last year is last year. This is, like, a new year. You can't live in the previous year. It's impossible," said Venus Williams after losing.

Watch: Belinda Bencic on first-round win over Venus Williams

Stan Wawrinka admitted on Saturday that he was not impressed that long-time coach Magnus Norman decided to end their relationship as he battled back from knee surgery.

Norman called it quits on his four-year spell with the Swiss star in October after a partnership that saw spawned three Grand Slam titles.

He wanted to spend more time with his family, but it didn&#39;t go down well with Wawrinka who has not played competitively since Wimbledon in July and is gearing up for the Australian Open next week.

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&quot;The fact that I&#39;m here and I&#39;m going to play the first one, it&#39;s a big victory. It&#39;s the best that I could have dream when I had the surgery&quot; 
 
- <a href="https://twitter.com/stanwawrinka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stanwawrinka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AusOpen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AusOpen</a> <a href="https://t.co/wFZgm2aju7">pic.twitter.com/wFZgm2aju7</a>
&mdash; #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) <a href="https://twitter.com/AustralianOpen/status/952018762470969346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;No, for sure, it was already a tough, tough, tough moment for myself, to be out, to get surgery, to know that it will take at least six months to be back at a place where I can play tennis again,&quot; he said in Melbourne.

&quot;It was tough to hear from him that he will stop at that moment.

&quot;When you are in a tough place like that as an athlete, you want the people who know you the best to stay with you, to stick with you. You want your team, your family to be here.&nbsp;

&quot;They will help you the most to get back where you want to be.&quot;

He said Norman was not only his coach, &quot;but he was a friend, even closer than a friend&quot; and he was &quot;more sad than angry at him&quot;.

Wawrinka is still without a full-time coach, although he continues to work with Yannick Fattebert who plans to spend more time on the road with the 32-year-old.

Despite no longer being coached by Norman, Wawrinka said he would always be grateful for the time they spent together.

&quot;That&#39;s what I want to keep from our relationship,&quot; said Wawrinka, who was the world number 17 and had never reached a Grand Slam semi-final before the pair hooked up.

&nbsp;

Norman was a friend, even closer than a friend and he was more sad than angry at him, said Wawrinka

Stan Wawrinka admitted on Saturday that he was not impressed that long-time coach Magnus Norman decided to end their relationship as he battled back from knee surgery. Norman called it quits on his four-year spell with the Swiss star in October after a partnership that saw spawned three Grand Slam titles. He wanted to spend more time with his family, but it didn't go down well with Wawrinka who has not played competitively since Wimbledon in July and is gearing up for the Australian Open next week. "The fact that I'm here and I'm going to play the first one, it's a big victory. It's the best that I could have dream when I had the surgery" - @stanwawrinka #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/wFZgm2aju7 — #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 13, 2018 × "No, for sure, it was already a tough, tough, tough moment for myself, to be out, to get surgery, to know that it will take at least six months to be back at a place where I can play tennis again," he said in Melbourne. "It was tough to hear from him that he will stop at that moment. "When you are in a tough place like that as an athlete, you want the people who know you the best to stay with you, to stick with you. You want your team, your family to be here. "They will help you the most to get back where you want to be." He said Norman was not only his coach, "but he was a friend, even closer than a friend" and he was "more sad than angry at him". Wawrinka is still without a full-time coach, although he continues to work with Yannick Fattebert who plans to spend more time on the road with the 32-year-old. Despite no longer being coached by Norman, Wawrinka said he would always be grateful for the time they spent together. "That's what I want to keep from our relationship," said Wawrinka, who was the world number 17 and had never reached a Grand Slam semi-final before the pair hooked up.

Coach Magnus Norman's exit upsets Stan Wawrinka

Novak Djokovic returned after six months with a bang. He defeated&nbsp;Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4 in straight sets. He was suffering from an elbow injury and has not played since Wimbledon in July, where he was ruled out by&nbsp;Tomas Berdych&nbsp;in the quarterfinals.

The exhibition match at Kooyong was his first match of the year. His performance showed no signs of injury. He&nbsp;was in good form and full of optimism&nbsp;as he played exceptionally well.

The Serbian 12-time Grand Slam winner&nbsp;could not control his smile after the winning the match and in the post-match presentation, said that&nbsp;he felt &quot;great&quot; after defeating world number five Dominic Thiem.

Djokovic has dropped to number 14 in the world ranking but seemed fit enough to chase his&nbsp;record seventh Australian Open crown next week.

&quot;I feel great, I was eager to get onto the court,&quot; he said after playing with a flesh-coloured sleeve on his right arm.

&quot;I had a great opponent, it was a test for me to see where I am, how the work we did pays off on the court. It worked pretty well.&quot;

&quot;There was a doubt, especially after I pulled out of the first week of the year,&quot; he admitted.&nbsp;

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Really looking forward to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TieBreakTens?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TieBreakTens</a> Melbourne Jan 10. Excited to try out this new fast paced format. It&rsquo;s a great line up and I can&rsquo;t wait to get out on court! Are you ready? <a href="https://twitter.com/RafaelNadal?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RafaelNadal</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/stanwawrinka?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@stanwawrinka</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tomasberdych?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tomasberdych</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ThiemDomi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ThiemDomi</a>.. ???? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/EveryPointCounts?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#EveryPointCounts</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZSc3bUkICA">pic.twitter.com/ZSc3bUkICA</a>
&mdash; Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) <a href="https://twitter.com/DjokerNole/status/950599664923037701?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;I personally didn&#39;t know what&#39;s going to happen. We did some treatment and obviously gave it a lot of thought. Luckily for me, I&#39;m here and so I&#39;m hoping in the next four, five days everything will go well and I&#39;ll be ready for the Open.&quot;

&quot;I don&#39;t want to be over-confident, but I&#39;m very, very happy with how it went today,&quot; added the 30-year-old.

&quot;I don&#39;t say I&#39;m at 100 percent, I can only say that when I get the feel of a tournament. Ideally, I would have had another tournament before the start of the Open,&nbsp;&nbsp;but it was not meant to be.

&quot;I&#39;ll take whatever I can -- one or two matches here will be good preparation.&quot;

&quot;Especially the serve &ndash; that was the biggest question mark because of the elbow, that shot in my game was compromised.&quot;

Thiem, who only arrived in Melbourne on Monday night from Doha after four days in bed with a virus, presented only a minimal challenge to the recharged Serb.

&quot;I&#39;m free of fever and healthy again,&quot; the Austrian said. &quot;I&#39;m still jet-lagged and was slow at the beginning of the match. I&#39;ll sleep, eat and train and not do too much. I&#39;ll be fine for the Open.&quot;

&quot;The most important thing is to feel the conditions, to get comfortable,&quot; he said. &quot;It&#39;s important to find a good rhythm.

&quot;Overall, I&#39;m quite happy with my level. I was feeling the ball well and hitting cleanly from both sides.&quot;

&quot;I&#39;m hoping in the next four or five days everything will go well and I&rsquo;ll be ready for the Open.&quot;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Djokovic has not played since Wimbledon 2017 due to an elbow injury, now he will chase a record 7th Australian Open crown next week

Novak Djokovic returned after six months with a bang. He defeated Dominic Thiem 6-1, 6-4 in straight sets. He was suffering from an elbow injury and has not played since Wimbledon in July, where he was ruled out by Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals. The exhibition match at Kooyong was his first match of the year. His performance showed no signs of injury. He was in good form and full of optimism as he played exceptionally well. The Serbian 12-time Grand Slam winner could not control his smile after the winning the match and in the post-match presentation, said that he felt "great" after defeating world number five Dominic Thiem. Djokovic has dropped to number 14 in the world ranking but seemed fit enough to chase his record seventh Australian Open crown next week. "I feel great, I was eager to get onto the court," he said after playing with a flesh-coloured sleeve on his right arm. "I had a great opponent, it was a test for me to see where I am, how the work we did pays off on the court. It worked pretty well." "There was a doubt, especially after I pulled out of the first week of the year," he admitted. Really looking forward to #TieBreakTens Melbourne Jan 10. Excited to try out this new fast paced format. It’s a great line up and I can’t wait to get out on court! Are you ready? @RafaelNadal @stanwawrinka @tomasberdych @ThiemDomi.. ???? #EveryPointCounts pic.twitter.com/ZSc3bUkICA — Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) January 9, 2018 × "I personally didn't know what's going to happen. We did some treatment and obviously gave it a lot of thought. Luckily for me, I'm here and so I'm hoping in the next four, five days everything will go well and I'll be ready for the Open." "I don't want to be over-confident, but I'm very, very happy with how it went today," added the 30-year-old. "I don't say I'm at 100 percent, I can only say that when I get the feel of a tournament. Ideally, I would have had another tournament before the start of the Open, but it was not meant to be. "I'll take whatever I can -- one or two matches here will be good preparation." "Especially the serve – that was the biggest question mark because of the elbow, that shot in my game was compromised." Thiem, who only arrived in Melbourne on Monday night from Doha after four days in bed with a virus, presented only a minimal challenge to the recharged Serb. "I'm free of fever and healthy again," the Austrian said. "I'm still jet-lagged and was slow at the beginning of the match. I'll sleep, eat and train and not do too much. I'll be fine for the Open." "The most important thing is to feel the conditions, to get comfortable," he said. "It's important to find a good rhythm. "Overall, I'm quite happy with my level. I was feeling the ball well and hitting cleanly from both sides." "I'm hoping in the next four or five days everything will go well and I’ll be ready for the Open."

Very happy with return ahead of Australian Open: Djokovic

Injured Japanese star Kei Nishikori pulled out of the Australian Open, while Novak Djokovic says he will test his problem elbow&nbsp;before deciding whether to play.

Asian number one Nishikori has been struggling because&nbsp;of a&nbsp;torn tendon in his right wrist.

&quot;I am very sorry to announce that I will miss the Aussie Open this year, The Aussie Open is my favourite Slam ... it&#39;s my &#39;home&#39; Slam,&quot; said&nbsp;Nishikori.

&quot;It&#39;s the Slam that takes incredible care of the players and their teams, and it hurts that I will have to miss it this year. My rehab is going well but I am just not ready 100 percent to come back yet in best of five set matches.&quot;

Nishikori is not the only leading player struggling with injury, with a who&#39;s who of the top names in the game battling to be fit for Melbourne Park.

Former world number one Djokovic hasn&#39;t played since a right elbow issue forced him to quit Wimbledon in the quarter-finals in July,&nbsp;Svetlana Kuznetsova is already out.

Another former number one, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-murray-out-of-brisbane-event-with-hip-injury-28326">Andy Murray, is also struggling and withdrew</a> from this week&#39;s Brisbane International as he works to overcome a right hip injury which has sidelined him since Wimbledon.

&quot;Sadly I won&#39;t be playing in Melbourne this year, as I am not yet ready to compete,&quot; Murray said in a statement.

Also returning from injury but set to play at the Grand Slam are Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic.

World number one Rafael Nadal, the reigning French Open and US Open champion, pulled out of Brisbane with a knee injury, but the Spaniard has said he still intends to be on the court at the Australian Open.

&nbsp;

Earlier, Andy Murry and Svetlana Kuznetsova was out and now, Kei Nishikori pulled out of Aussie Open and Djokovic is struggling

Injured Japanese star Kei Nishikori pulled out of the Australian Open, while Novak Djokovic says he will test his problem elbow before deciding whether to play. Asian number one Nishikori has been struggling because of a torn tendon in his right wrist. "I am very sorry to announce that I will miss the Aussie Open this year, The Aussie Open is my favourite Slam ... it's my 'home' Slam," said Nishikori. "It's the Slam that takes incredible care of the players and their teams, and it hurts that I will have to miss it this year. My rehab is going well but I am just not ready 100 percent to come back yet in best of five set matches." Nishikori is not the only leading player struggling with injury, with a who's who of the top names in the game battling to be fit for Melbourne Park. Former world number one Djokovic hasn't played since a right elbow issue forced him to quit Wimbledon in the quarter-finals in July, Svetlana Kuznetsova is already out. Another former number one, Andy Murray, is also struggling and withdrew from this week's Brisbane International as he works to overcome a right hip injury which has sidelined him since Wimbledon. "Sadly I won't be playing in Melbourne this year, as I am not yet ready to compete," Murray said in a statement. Also returning from injury but set to play at the Grand Slam are Stan Wawrinka and Milos Raonic. World number one Rafael Nadal, the reigning French Open and US Open champion, pulled out of Brisbane with a knee injury, but the Spaniard has said he still intends to be on the court at the Australian Open.

Australian Open: Tennis 'stars' not shining brightly due to injuries

Ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth produced a rich vein of form as he bounced back from a game down against reigning world number one&nbsp;Son Wan Ho to book his place in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open Super Series in Sydney on Thursday.

After losing the first game, the 24-year-old Indian rebounded strongly to clinch a 15-21, 21-13, 21-13 win over Wan Ho in a gruelling second-round clash that lasted almost an hour.

Srikanth, who entered the tournament on the back of his maiden Indonesia Super Series Premier title, has defeated Wan Ho for the second time in two weeks.

The Indian shuttler had beaten the South Korean ace in the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open last week. Srikanth has now set up a last-eight clash against his fellow countryman B&nbsp;Sai Praneeth.

Praneeth cemented his place in the quarter-finals of the tournament after brushing aside China&#39;s Huang Yuxiang 21-15, 18-21, 21-13 in his men&#39;s singles clash that lasted one hour and five minutes.

Meanwhile, Rio Olympic silver-medallist PV Sindhu and ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal will also look to storm into the last eight when they play their respective women&#39;s singles second rounds later today.&nbsp;

(ANI)

Kidambi Srikanth beat the world's top-ranked player Son Wan to mark his place in the quarter finals

Ace Indian shuttler Kidambi Srikanth produced a rich vein of form as he bounced back from a game down against reigning world number one Son Wan Ho to book his place in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open Super Series in Sydney on Thursday. After losing the first game, the 24-year-old Indian rebounded strongly to clinch a 15-21, 21-13, 21-13 win over Wan Ho in a gruelling second-round clash that lasted almost an hour. Srikanth, who entered the tournament on the back of his maiden Indonesia Super Series Premier title, has defeated Wan Ho for the second time in two weeks. The Indian shuttler had beaten the South Korean ace in the semi-finals of the Indonesia Open last week. Srikanth has now set up a last-eight clash against his fellow countryman B Sai Praneeth. Praneeth cemented his place in the quarter-finals of the tournament after brushing aside China's Huang Yuxiang 21-15, 18-21, 21-13 in his men's singles clash that lasted one hour and five minutes. Meanwhile, Rio Olympic silver-medallist PV Sindhu and ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal will also look to storm into the last eight when they play their respective women's singles second rounds later today. (ANI)

Badminton: Srikanth, Praneeth enter Australia Open quarter-finals

Roger Federer says he hopes to play for at least another two to three years and that his &quot;mindset is for the long-term&quot; in assessing his tennis future.

Federer, who has not played since re-injuring his surgically repaired left knee at Wimbledon in July, will make his tournament return in the January 1-7 Hopman Cup team event at Perth, representing Switzerland with Belinda Bencic.

The 35-year-old Federer said Friday he&#39;s not sure of the form he&#39;ll produce upon his return, but that retirement isn&#39;t part of his thought process.

&quot;Only when I get asked do I think of things like this,&quot; said Federer, who has 17 Grand Slam singles titles, the most of any male player.

&quot;I don&#39;t see it like this, that this could be my last Australian trip, even though it might very well be,&quot; he added.

&quot;I&#39;m really positive. I took these six months off so I would be playing for hopefully another two to three years, not just another six months or so. So my mindset is for the long-term.&quot;

Federer hasn&#39;t won a Grand Slam singles title since Wimbledon in 2012, and with his injury, has slipped to No. 16 in the world rankings.

&quot;Winning titles is a beautiful feeling, rankings at the moments ... Completely secondary,&quot; Federer said Friday.

&quot;As long as I&#39;m healthy and injury free I think I can really do some damage.&quot;

Federer and Bencic begin&nbsp;their play&nbsp;against Britain, represented by Heather Wilson and Dan Evans, on Monday night at Perth Arena.

Defending champions Australia, represented by Daria Gavrilova and Nick Kyrgios, begin&nbsp;their play Sunday night against Spain.

Americans Coco Vandeweghe and Jack Sock take on Czech Republic&#39;s Lucie Hradecka and Adam Pavlasek earlier Sunday in the men&#39;s singles, women&#39;s singles and mixed doubles format.

(PTI)

Federer, who is embarking on a comeback trail at the Hopman Cup, insists he doesn't want to retire any time soon

Roger Federer says he hopes to play for at least another two to three years and that his "mindset is for the long-term" in assessing his tennis future. Federer, who has not played since re-injuring his surgically repaired left knee at Wimbledon in July, will make his tournament return in the January 1-7 Hopman Cup team event at Perth, representing Switzerland with Belinda Bencic. The 35-year-old Federer said Friday he's not sure of the form he'll produce upon his return, but that retirement isn't part of his thought process. "Only when I get asked do I think of things like this," said Federer, who has 17 Grand Slam singles titles, the most of any male player. "I don't see it like this, that this could be my last Australian trip, even though it might very well be," he added. "I'm really positive. I took these six months off so I would be playing for hopefully another two to three years, not just another six months or so. So my mindset is for the long-term." Federer hasn't won a Grand Slam singles title since Wimbledon in 2012, and with his injury, has slipped to No. 16 in the world rankings. "Winning titles is a beautiful feeling, rankings at the moments ... Completely secondary," Federer said Friday. "As long as I'm healthy and injury free I think I can really do some damage." Federer and Bencic begin their play against Britain, represented by Heather Wilson and Dan Evans, on Monday night at Perth Arena. Defending champions Australia, represented by Daria Gavrilova and Nick Kyrgios, begin their play Sunday night against Spain. Americans Coco Vandeweghe and Jack Sock take on Czech Republic's Lucie Hradecka and Adam Pavlasek earlier Sunday in the men's singles, women's singles and mixed doubles format. (PTI)

Roger Federer keen on playing for another 2-3 years

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