U.S. Open - Men: Federer stumbles on

Eurosport - Sat, 30 Aug 04:12:00 2008

Four-times defending champion Roger Federer laboured into the third round of the US Open with a 6-3 7-5 6-4 victory over Brazilian qualifier Thiago Alves.

TENNIS GETTY US Open 2008 second round Roger Federer - 0

World number two Federer was far from top form but blasted 19 aces and lost his serve only once in the two hour, 14-minute match in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Federer had an uncharacteristic 46 unforced errors against the 137th-ranked Alves, who was playing his first tour-level event of the year and only the 10th of his career.

The Swiss will face either Czech Radek Stepanek or Australian Chris Guccione in the third round and remained on track to face Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of the year's final Grand Slam tournament.

Third seed Djokovic tamed big-hitting American qualifier Robert Kendrick 7-6 6-4 6-4 to reach the third round.

The Serbian, runner-up to Roger Federer last year, saved two set points in the first-set tiebreak before eventually clinching a hard-earned victory.

Feeding off the crowd, Kendrick went for broke at every opportunity and hit back from 6-2 down in the tiebreak to force two set points, only for Djokovic to shut the door with some stout defence.

One break gave him the second set and another in the opening game of the third ended Kendrick's hopes as Djokovic eased through to a meeting with Croatian 30th seed Marin Cilic.

Former champion Marat Safin traded booming groundstrokes with Tommy Robredo for three sets before fading to a 4-6 7-6 6-4 6-0 defeat by the 15th-seeded Spaniard.

Safin, the 2000 champion, lost the second-set tiebreak 7-4 and battled Robredo on serve in the third set before errors began to seep into his game as the Spaniard broke him in the 10th game for a two sets to one lead.

That seemed to take the life out of the 44th-ranked Russian, who went down meekly in a 24-minute fourth set.

Robredo, pin-pointing his topspin forehands and cut backhands from the baseline, advanced to a third-set match against either 19th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France, who beat Carlos Moya 4-6 6-3 6-4 6-4.

Elsewhere, Russian fifth seed Nikolay Davydenko defeated Agustin Calleri, of Argentina 6-4 6-4 7-6 (2) and compatriot Dmitry Tursunov beat Victor Hanescu 6-7 (2) 6-3 6-4 6-2.

Gilles Muller outlasted Germany's Tommy Haas 2-6 2-6 7-6 (5) 6-3 6-3.

AFP / Reuters

Comment 38 - 57 of 57

Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

  1. wakrinka won..well jimwont ur prediction do speaks volume..

    From nthk8, on Sat 30 Aug 8:33PM

  2. if murray win..then we r even..i do hope murray will make a comeback win..

    From nthk8, on Sat 30 Aug 8:16PM

  3. can Murray win the next 2 sets?

    From jimwont986, on Sat 30 Aug 8:13PM

  4. Good on yer Rafa.

    From jimwont986, on Sat 30 Aug 8:12PM

  5. My bet Wawrinka

    From jimwont986, on Sat 30 Aug 8:11PM

  6. who u think will win?wakrinka or cipolla?

    From nthk8, on Sat 30 Aug 8:00PM

  7. look like troicki is fading away..nadal too strong..

    From nthk8, on Sat 30 Aug 7:54PM

  8. Nthk8: if you don't recognise an upset when you see one, take a look at the Murray - Meltzer scoreline.

    From jimwont986, on Sat 30 Aug 7:51PM

  9. Nthk8: if you don't recognise an upset when you see one, take a look at the Murray - Meltzer scoreline.

    From jimwont986, on Sat 30 Aug 7:51PM

  10. nthk8: Troicki will now have to win all three sets in a row against Nadal. Do you really think he can do it?? Troicki is good but his game isn't complicated: a fantastic serve, fast mover and great forehand. That's it. This kind of player needs to get more than 75% of first serves in just to hold, and he needs to do it in EVERY game of each set, like Tsonga in Australia. Then, somehow, he's got to beat Nadal when he's not serving, and do that in during 3 sets. It's a tall order.

    From jimwont986, on Sat 30 Aug 7:46PM

  11. troicki serve is too hot to handle for nadal..an upset beckons..

    From nthk8, on Sat 30 Aug 7:13PM

  12. The last point of this first set against Troiki illustrates what I have said perfectly.

    From jimwont986, on Sat 30 Aug 6:47PM

  13. lol all this antagonism.

    From Pop, on Sat 30 Aug 5:36PM

  14. com45..ok..my bet..wat i mean don call ppl stupid..peace..

    From nthk8, on Sat 30 Aug 5:31PM

  15. Mats Wilander: "I think that Nadal is probably the cleverest guy on Tour.Of course he relies on his fitness too,but so does everybody else.His fitness starts in his heart more than anything.Of course he's strong,but I'm not sure he's stronger than anybody else,he just wants it more."

    From lisa n, on Sat 30 Aug 5:14PM

  16. I didn't said that everyone else is stupid....please read the comment as i've wrote it not as you want it to sound.I just said what Mats believes.

    From lisa n, on Sat 30 Aug 5:12PM

  17. sorry the msg meant for com40

    From nthk8, on Sat 30 Aug 5:11PM

  18. com 40..u mean mats say the rest of the players r stupid??xcept nadal..u love to shitf the blame to someone esle..

    From nthk8, on Sat 30 Aug 5:09PM

  19. com 37..u mean nadal brain is the size of a tennis ball??omg!!

    From nthk8, on Sat 30 Aug 5:05PM

  20. nthk8 what a change of attitude....i don't need morality lessons from you...you were till yesterday the one who pissed off everybody whit your bad language and insulted everybody.BTW...Mats said that Rafa is the most clever guy on circuit because he knows how to impose his game.Peace

    From lisa n, on Sat 30 Aug 5:04PM
Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

Not already a Yahoo! user ? to get a free Yahoo! Account