Roger Federer serves to Teymuraz Gabashvili during their match at the Australian Open on Saturday. The former world No 1 cruised into the fourth round with a straight sets victory over the Russian. Jason Reed / Reuters

Federer vanquishes Russian to join Murray in fourth round

Roger Federer said his Grand Slam revival was well under way on Saturday as he smoothly reached week two at the Australian Open.

As cooler temperatures consigned this week's heat wave to memory, Federer swept past Russia's world No 79 Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in his record 57th consecutive major tournament.

Meanwhile, three-time finalist Andy Murray also advanced to the fourth round for the sixth straight year with a 7-6 (2), 6-4, 6-2 win over No 26-seeded Feliciano Lopez of Spain.

Murray, playing only his second tournament since minor back surgery in September, was only broken once in a two-hour, 15-minute match.

Federer, with an unsurpassed 17 Grand Slam titles but now aged 32, last year lost in Wimbledon's second round and in the last 16 at the US Open, raising doubts about his ability to win more majors.

But the Swiss, who said he was comfortable with his new, bigger racket and with Swedish great Stefan Edberg as his coach, hopes his 2013 difficulties are now behind him.

"It was a tough year last year and it took some time to figure out what I needed to do to feel better and to get my confidence back, because that's what I thought it was mostly," Federer said.

"For the last four to five months I feel that I'm back to normal again and at least I feel I've done the work to catch up and haven't had any setbacks, so it's very positive."

Federer, who now faces Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, said he was happy with his first week's work in dismissing James Duckworth, Blaz Kavcic and Gabashvili without losing a set.

"I didn't have the best of Wimbledon and US Opens last year, and I didn't want to get ahead of myself," the four-time champion said.

"Now the draw is getting extremely difficult ... but I am looking forward to it. I've done the work and haven't lost a set so far.

"This is clearly a tough draw, but the important thing now for me is just that I keep playing well and I don't go crazy about who I play. It's up to me to bring it in the next match."

Only two of Federer's record 17 Grand Slam titles have come in the past four years, in Australia in 2010 and at Wimbledon in 2012.

He has made a habit of demolishing his opponents in the early stages and said the move from 16 to 32 seeds might have helped his cause.

"With the 32 seeds it is a bit more predictable ... a lot more predictable, actually. That is one of the reasons I think I have always been able to go deep in Slams, especially once I was able to be seeded."

Federer was barely troubled by Gabashvili and though he knows he needs to lift his game, is happy with his form.

"I'm happy that I'm winning my matches in straight sets," he said.

"I was able to do that today, so I'm pleased."

(China Daily 01/19/2014 page12)