Federer’s ‘perfect’ start lands him third-round berth
Federer jumped ahead 5-0 in only 12 minutes before Beck fought back, claiming a first-set break before the five-time US Open champion seized command and rolled to victory after one hour and 41 minutes.
“It’s the perfect start,” said Federer. “My body is well. Mentally I’m fresh, too. I haven’t played too much, so I’m really eager.“I’m ready for tough matches coming around. It’s good I’m saving myself, really, and my game is fine.”
Wozniacki, Sharapova advance
Danish Wozniacki blanked Taiwan’s Chang Kai-Chen 6-0, 6-0 in 47 minutes, her 11th win in a row after claiming titles at Montreal and New Haven leading into the Open. She has dropped only two games in two matches till now.
“I go out there and I don’t give up. I don’t give any free points away and that is one of my strong points,” said Wozniacki of her merciless display against Chang.
Sharapova routed Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-2, moving closer to a fourth-round showdown with Wozniacki. The 2006 US Open winner struggled with injuries last year but is on her way back to regaining her form now.
“Last year here, the position I was in, I was trying to see where my game was, so it’s nice to be back on the court and not having to worry about anything other than trying to win,” said Sharapova.
Meanwhile, fourth seed Jelena Jankovic reached the third round with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 win over Croatian qualifier Mirjana Lucic.
Djokovic jokes through
Serbian third seed Djokovic advanced 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) over German Philipp Petzschner, saying, “I was shaky the whole match but I was able to hold on.” Djokovic, a 2007 US Open runner-up to Federer, will face American James Blake for a berth in the round-of-16. The Serb also lost to Federer in the US Open semi-finals the past two years and could meet the Swiss star in the same round again this year.
Swedish fifth-seed Soderling downed American Taylor Dent 6-2, 6-2, 6-4. The French Open runner-up meets Dutchman Thiemo de Bakker next.
Russian sixth-seed Nikolay Davydenko, a 2006 and 2007 US Open semi-final contestant who lost to Federer both times, was ousted 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 by 38th-ranked Richard Gasquet in the biggest upset of the day. Gasquet, among a record 12 Frenchmen to reach the second round, lost only seven of 52 points on his first serve as Davydenko made his quickest US Open exit since 2005.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 4th, 2010.
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