John Millman remains on course for a grand slam return bout with Roger Federer after downing Frenchman Ugo Humbert in the opening round of the Australian Open.

The Australian Davis Cup stalwart won 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 1-6 7-5, with Humbert losing his nerve in the final game, serving two consecutive double faults to close out the match.

Millman’s second-round opponent will be Poland’s No.31 seed Hubert Hurkacz, who fought back from two sets down to beat Austrian qualifier Dennis Novak.

Were he to win that encounter, Millman’s likely third-round opponent at Melbourne Park would be 20-time major champion Federer, whom the Australian famously ousted in the the round of 16 at the 2018 US Open.

Earlier on Tuesday, rising Italian star Jannik Sinner ended the campaign of local hope Max Purcell.

Sinner was on the brink of victory, leading by two sets to love, when heavy rain interrupted their first-round clash on Monday afternoon.

But when play resumed under clear skies on Tuesday, the Italian needed only a few more minutes to close out the 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 6-4 win against Purcell, who had advanced to the Melbourne Park main draw through qualifying.

Sinner defeated Australian Alex de Minaur in the final of last year’s Next Gen championships in Milan.