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Tennis: Federer out of Australian Open, Bouchard impresses

January 23, 2015

Seeking his fifth win at the Australian Open, Federer was dumped out in the third round. It's the earliest he has been eliminated since 2012 at the Open. His rivals - Murray, Wawrinka and Djokovic - march on.

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Australian Open 2015 Roger Federer ausgeschieden
Image: Manan Vatsyayana/AFP/Getty Images

Four-time winner Roger Federer has been knocked out of the Australian Open in the third round after losing 6-4, 7-6 (5), 4-6, 7-6 (5) to Italian Andreas Seppi.

Ranked 46th in the world, the 30-year-old had lost his last 10 encounters with Federer, the world number two, and sets up a fourth round bout with local favorite Nick Kyrgios or Tunisia's Malek Jaziri.

Seppi punished a sluggish start from Federer and took a two-set lead, but Federer responded well and broke in the third set, clawing back the points to put the pressure on the rookie Italian.

But Seppi held his nerve in the fourth set, battling through another tie-break and clinching the win with a marvelous forehand.

"I just tried to enjoy playing centre court again," Seppi said in a courtside interview after ending Federer's 13-year run to the last 16 at Melbourne Park.

"I just tried to do my best and I think it was one of the best matches (of my career).

"It was great to play in front of a full stadium."

The Swiss, with 17 Grand Slams to his name, hasn't managed to bag one of Tennis' four great prizes - US Open, Australian Open, Wimbledon and French Open - since 2012.

"I guess I won the wrong points out there today," a disappointed Federer told reporters.

"The end wasn't pretty... I just somehow couldn't play my best tennis today and it was partially because Andreas played very well today."

"Maybe the rhythm was missing but I feel like that very often (before matches)."

Meanwhile, seventh-seed Czech Tomas Berdych beat Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, while the highly-talented Eugenie Bouchard booked a spot in the third round, beating France's Caroline Garcia 7-5, 6-0.

Bouchard's first-set against Garcia lasted over an hour until the 20-year-old from Montreal gained superiorty in the second, trouncing her opponent six games to nil.

"I wasn't playing great tennis in the first," the 2012 Australian Open semi-finalist admitted. I feel like she was putting some pressure on me and I really didn't feel like I got a rhythm.

"But I'm happy that I just kept going. Even if it wasn't going so well, I was able to turn it around."

rd / apc (AP, Reuters)