Australian Open 2016: Roger Federer vs Tomas Berdych quarterfinal preview

Roger Federer admits he needs to play well in the quarterfinal round of the 2016 Australian Open at Melbourne Park against sixth seed Tomas Berdych.

Federer put on a masterclass performance in his match against David Goffin, defeating the 15^th seeded Belgian in the fourth round of the 2016 Australian Open 6-2 6-1 6-4. The Swiss Maestro was surprised about his swift win against Goffin, but more importantly was happy to keep his momentum going ahead of his clash with Berdych.

"It was good [and I was] surprised it went as fast as it did," Federer said, reports the ATP’s official website. "To win the first two sets within 50 minutes is the best thing that can happen out there, especially with a late start and against a quality player.”

Federer, who achieved his 300^th Grand Slam career win after defeating Maria Sharapova’s former boyfriend Grigor Dimitrov, only needed 88 minutes to finish off Goffin, hitting 39 winners including seven aces. But the 17-time Grand Slam winner may find himself in a potential two hour match against Berdych, who narrowly won his match against Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut 4-6 6-4 6-3 1-6 6-3.

Berdych made tough work of Agut in a match that lasted three hours and 18 minutes. Agut started the match confidently and could have won the second set of their match, but the Czech dug deep to manage a back-and-forth game against the Spaniard and broke for a 3-1 lead in the deciding set to earn a QF spot.

"I'm pleased with the way I handled the match,” Berdych said, reports Sportal. “I was playing well tactically with the right game plan. It was a good challenge for me."

Federer has defeated Berdych in four straight occasions since the Dubai Tennis Championships in 2014, with the Swiss' most recent victory at the ATP World Tour Finals in November. Berdych’s last win over Federer was in 2013 at a semifinal match during a tournament in Dubai.