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Six time Australian open winner Roger Federer has held on to beat Australian John Millman at Rod Laver Arena on Friday night, in a gripping match that was decided in a fifth set tie break.
The Swiss maestro was facing defeat at 8-4 down in a first to ten battle within that tie break, but fought back to claim six unanswered points and fight his way in to the fourth round, 4-6, 7-6, 6-4, 4-6 7-6 (10-8).
In a pulsating third round clash that lasted more than four hours, 30 year old Queenslander Millman was out to replicate his fourth round 2018 US Open win over Federer, a match up against Hungarian Marton Fucsovics awaiting the winner.
Millman started the better claiming the first set 6-4, Federer producing several costly unforced errors that left him with work to do in the second set.
He fought back to level things up at one set apiece, claiming the set in a tie break.
Federer went two sets up with just one break of serve in the third, but Millman wasn't done yet as the gutsy Australian leveled things up again in claiming the fourth set 6-4.
Millman appeared to be edging his way in front in the deciding set when he secured an early break of serve, but the 20 time Grand Slam winner soon broke back to leave things on an even keel.
Both players had break points at different points but couldnt capitalise during the set, a first to ten tie break required to seperate the two.
It appeared Millman would secure one of the finest wins of his career at 8-4, before Federer dug deep to record his 100th singles win at the Australian Open and progress in to the second week of the tournament.
It leaves Nick Krygios and Alexi Popryin as the only Australian males left to fly the flag in the back half of the tournament, the two to play their third round matches on Saturday.
In other results Stefanos Tsitsipas was sent packing from the tournament in straight sets by Canadian Milos Raonic, Novak Djokovic dispatched Japan's Yoshihito Nishiota in under two hours 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 and Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut saw off Marin Cilic in another match that lasted five sets.
The upsets kept coming in the ladies singles, with reigning champion Naomi Osaka defeated by teenage sensation Coco Gauff 6-3, 6-4, while 2018 champion Caroline Wozniacki bid farwell to the game in her loss to Tunisian Ons Jabeur, having announced late last year this tournament would be her last.
IMAGE: Daily Express