Australian Open: Novak Djokovic up against Andreas Seppi in third round

Melbourne: World No. 1 Novak Djokovic will lock horns with Italian Andreas Seppi in the third round of the Australian Open.

The Serb cannot take his next opponent lightly as Seppi stunned 17-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer in the same stage last year.

And the Serb is wary of the 28-year-old going into his next match.

"He won against (Roger) Federer last year in third round. I think he deserves a lot of respect for the amount of years that he spent in top 30," said the Serb, a five-time champion at Melbourne Park.

"He`s not really overwhelmed by a big occasion, so I expect him to try his best to win.

"It`s going to be a tough one. I need to be ready for rallies. It`s going to be physical match. But the way I`ve been playing, I have a lot of faith and confidence in my game."

Djoker, a five-time champion at the Australian Open, defeated 19-year-old French wild-card entry Quentin Halys 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (3) in the second round on Wednesday night.