Roger Federer
Roger Federer celebrates after beating Jurgen Melzer in the first round of the men's singles at the 2017 Australian Open Getty

Roger Federer will face another qualifier in Noah Rubin in the second round of the 2017 Australian Open at the Rod Laver Arena on Wednesday (18 January).

Where to watch live

The match is set to start at 3am GMT. Live coverage is available on British Eurosport and Eurosport 1.

Overview

Federer will face a qualifier in the second round at the Australian Open after beating Jurgen Melzer, a former top-10 player who had to come through the qualifiers this time around.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner dropped a set on his way to a four-set victory, but was delighted to come through the match unscathed.

The going will get tough for Federer as he will come up against Tomas Berdych in the third round if both of them win their respective second round matches, and if all goes according to plan, he will face Kei Nishikori in the fourth round. Despite being ranked low, the Swiss ace is likely to be a formidable opponent to any player on the tour.

Noah Rubin, on the other hand, is a rookie and is playing in his first Australian Open. The American is currently ranked 200 in the world and beat fellow American qualifier Bjorn Fratangelo in five sets in the first round. His last appearance in a Grand Slam was at the 2014 US Open when he lost in the first round.

The 21-year-old admitted that he was delighted to have a chance to play against Federer, and is clearly the underdog going into the encounter. Rubin has nothing much to lose and is likely to play an aggressive game, as there is no better time than now – with the Swiss maestro returning from a long-term injury - to cause an upset and record, what could be one of the biggest wins of his career.

Betting odds

  • Federer win: 1/25
  • Rubin win: 9

Head-to-head

This is the first time Noah Rubin and Roger Federer are facing each other on the professional circuit.