Roger Federer vs. Noah Rubin: Score, Reaction for 2017 Australian Open

Roger Federer sat out the second half of the 2016 season after knee surgery derailed his campaign, and he showed some signs of rust in a victorious second-round effort at the Australian Open on Wednesday. 

Matched up against American Noah Rubin at Rod Laver Arena, Federer captured a 7-5, 6-3, 7-6(3) victory to clinch a spot in Round 3.  

Although the straight-set scoreline doesn't indicate as much, Rubin held his own—and then some—as a heavy underdog playing in the spotlight for the first time. 

While Federer escaped the first two sets unscathed, the 20-year-old applied pressure throughout the third set and even took a 3-0 lead thanks to an early break fueled by baseline power, according to Tennis' Steve Tignor: 

The world's 17th-ranked player eventually clawed his way back from 5-2 and broke for 5-4 in the third frame, but the resurgence didn't come without some frustration, as Metro's George Bellshaw observed: 

Federer was plagued by 41 unforced errors in the win—14 more than his opponent—but perhaps most important was his ability to maintain composure and stave off momentary woes in the face of adversity. 

Federer is going to be tested to more significant degrees in the days ahead, and he'll have to work through frustrating spells and brief mechanical issues in order to stay alive in pursuit of more hardware. 

Speaking of which, Wednesday's win means Federer will now square off against Tomas Berdych in third-round play on Friday. 

And if recent history is any indication, the 17-time major champion should have the upper hand.

Federer owns a 16-6 lifetime edge against Berdych, and he's won each of their last five meetings dating back to 2014 in Dubai. That run includes a straight-set victory at last year's Australian Open, when Federer dispatched Berdych 7-6, 6-2, 6-4 in a comfortable quarterfinal triumph. 

Things should be a bit tougher this time around with Federer still returning to form, but if he can survive an early test, he could start to build some serious confidence as the second week of Melbourne's fortnight approaches. 

Post-Match Reaction

After the win, Federer broke down his effort during an on-court interview, according to the tournament's official Twitter account: 

As for his upcoming match, Federer doesn't appear ready to take Berdych lightly.

"It's not an easy draw," he said, per Bellshaw. "He's beaten me in New York and at Wimbledon, he'd like to beat me here too!"

Stats courtesy of ATPWorldTour.com and AusOpen.com.