Federer knows he must step up game against Berdych in third round

Roger Federer says he will have to improve his play when he meets Tomas Berdych in the third round of the Australian Open, the first Top 100 player he will meet at the tournament.

Federer, playing his first event since Wimbledon, was in command during both of his first two matches. He produced some scratchy play, however, going four sets in the first round against Jurgen Melzer and trailing by a break in the third set of his second-round match against Noah Rubin.

"I know I've got to lift my game a little bit," he said, adding that he doesn’t know where Berdych's game is. "I haven't seen Tomas play a lot, to be honest. I didn't see anything, basically."

The 10th-ranked Berdych advanced to the second round when Luca Vanni retired, and then defeated Ryan Harrison in straight sets.

Federer leads their head to head 16-6, including three wins at the Australian Open. In 2009, Berdych led Federer two sets to none in Melbourne before the Swiss came back to win the next three and move into the quarterfinals.

"The court plays fast, like I said,” Federer said. “He's caused difficulties for me in the past on faster courts—Cincinnati, New York, Wimbledon, [the] Olympics in Athens. I know what he's got ... I've played him here—played him on many occasions, as well— when it went my way. I just got to play on my terms and stay really focused.”

Currently ranked 17th, Federer will fall out of the Top 30 if he loses this match.

The winner could play fifth-ranked Kei Nishikori in the fourth round.