Wimbledon - Men: Federer strolls into third round

Eurosport - Thu, 25 Jun 13:33:00 2009

A relaxed Roger Federer outclassed Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2 6-2 6-4 to waltz into the third round at Wimbledon.

Roger Federer of Switzerland returns the ball to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain during their match at Wimbledon 
REUTERS - 0

The number two seed, bidding for a sixth Wimbledon crown and a record 15th Grand Slam title, barely broke sweat as he sent out an ominous message to the rest of the field.

As a contest it was all over once Federer broke serve in the third game of the match and the remainder of the one hour 29 minute stroll was pure exhibition stuff.

Federer, the favourite to win the title in the absence of injured champion Rafael Nadal, will play Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber , who survived an epic clash with Czech Ivo Minar to progress 6-4 3-6 4-6 6-2 8-6.

Federer's potential fourth round opponent 18th seed Robin Soderling was forced to recover from a set down for the second match running when he edged past Spaniard Marcel Granollers-Pujol 4-6 7-6(7) 6-4 7-5.

But if Soderling is to set up a repeat of the French Open final in the fourth round he will have to get past another Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, who eventually survived lucky loser Karol Beck of Slovakia 6-4 7-6(2) 3-6 3-6 7-5.

Fourth seed Novak Djokovic overcame a stuttering start before completing a resolute 7-5 6-1 6-4 victory over Germany's Simon Greul in the second round.

The Serbian went an early break down to the world number 106 but the former Australian Open champion broke back twice to take a hard-fought opening set in 45 minutes.

Djokovic rattled off three breaks of serve to race through the second set and a crucial break in game nine of the third saw him serve for the match on Court One.

He now faces a third-round clash against American 28th seed Mardy Fish, who forced his way past Serbia's Janko Tipsarevic 6-4 3-6 6-1 6-4.

French ninth seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga did not even have to walk through the All England Club gates to book his place in the third round.

Tsonga became the first player through to the last 32 when his opponent, Italy's Simone Bolelli, pulled out with a back injury before a ball could be struck in their second-round match.

Tsonga will now not be in action until Friday, when he faces either towering Croat Ivo Karlovic or Steve Darcis of Belgium.

Spanish seventh seed Fernando Verdasco battled into the third round with a 7-6(3) 6-7(3) 7-7(4) 6-4 win over Belgium's Kristof Vliegen and will next face compatriot Albert Montanes, seeded 32nd, who knocked out Argentina's Guillemo Canas 6-4 6-3 4-6 6-3.

Dangerous German Tommy Haas, 24th seed, then needed just seven games to get past Michael Llodra, leading 4-3 when his French opponent retired hurt after crashing into a ball girl. Haas had some fun instead by knocking up with a beaming ball girl.

Haas will next face Croatian 11th seed Marin Cilic, who defeated American Sam Querrey 4-6 7-6 6-3 6-7 6-4 in a gruelling battle on Centre Court.

Israel's Dudi Sela, who knocked Rainer Schuettler out of the Australian Open in the first round, repeated the trick with a 7-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory over the 18th seed, a semi-finalist at Wimbledon last year.

Sela next faces 15th seed Tommy Robredo, who came back from two sets down to beat Austria's Stefan Koubek 3-6 4-6 6-4 7-6(5) 6-1.

Reuters

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  3. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

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