World number one Roger Federer has revealed how close he came to emigrating to Australia as a youngster.

Federer's father Robert, who is employed in the pharmaceuticals industry, spent three months working in Australia when his son was aged about 12.

So much did the family love the lifestyle down under that they seriously considered moving permanently from Switzerland.

How different would the modern history of the sport in this country be if they had decided to make the switch?

"I remember my parents having a debate, 'are we moving away from Switzerland to come live over here?'" said Federer on Saturday after cruising into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over Spanish 31st seed Albert Montanes.

"At the end they just said 'look, we have all our friends over here [in Switzerland]'.

"And even though it's lucrative and nice to go to Australia, they loved the country, they also asked us kids.

"And we were like, 'whatever the parents decide. What are we gonna decide here?'

"So in the end they decided to stay in Switzerland.

"It was an interesting time, you know, but it was quickly decided on.

"We went on vacation here, maybe before I joined the National Tennis Centre at 14.

"We went on a big vacation here through Melbourne and Brisbane and Cairns and everything to get a better idea of the country.

"It was a beautiful vacation, but in the end we decided to stay in Switzerland."

The holder of a record 15 grand slam titles - and counting - has long enjoyed a close relationship with Australians, including two of his coaches, Tony Roche and the late Peter Carter.

The straight-sets win over Montanes on Saturday ensured that Federer notched another piece of history in his remarkable tennis career, becoming the first man to win 50 Australian Open singles matches at Melbourne Park.

Montanes did not have a single break point opportunity in the match.

The top-seeded Swiss - who has won three Australian Open titles - will play top-ranked Aussie Lleyton Hewitt for a spot in the quarter finals.

- AAP