Federer, Djokovic, Wozniacki, Sharapova Reach U.S. Open Tennis Third Round
Roger Federer of Switzerland
Al Bello/Getty Image
Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates match point against Andreas Beck of Germany during the Men's singles on day four of the 2010 U.S.
Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates match point against Andreas Beck of Germany during the Men's singles on day four of the 2010 U.S. Photographer: Al Bello/Getty Image
Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark
Al Bello/Getty Images
Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark returns a shot to Kai-Lung Chang of Chinese Taipei during the Women's singles on day four of the 2010 U.S.
Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark returns a shot to Kai-Lung Chang of Chinese Taipei during the Women's singles on day four of the 2010 U.S. Photographer: Al Bello/Getty Images
Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova and women’s top seed Caroline Wozniacki won their second-round matches in straight sets at the U.S. Open.
Five-time champion and No. 2 seed Federer beat Germany’s Andreas Beck 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 in Arthur Ashe Stadium at the National Tennis Center in New York, where hot conditions continued for the fourth straight day.
The 16-time Grand Slam winner from Switzerland advanced to a third-round meeting with Paul-Henri Mathieu, who beat fellow Frenchman Guillaume Rufin 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 6-3. Federer has yet to drop a set at the season’s final major tournament.
“It’s the perfect start,” Federer said at a news conference. “I played Monday, had two days off. I had another easy one physically today, and here I am in the third round feeling like I’m completely in the tournament.”
The 28-year-old Federer next will play Paul-Henri Mathieu, who beat fellow Frenchman Guillaume Rufin 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 6-3. Djokovic, seeded third, was a 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) winner over Germany’s Philipp Petzschner and will face James Blake of the U.S. in the third round.
Wozniacki took 47 minutes to ease past Kai-Chen Chang without losing a game. The Dane will face another Taiwanese player in the third round, Yung-Jan Chan, who beat Austria’s Tamira Paszek 6-3, 6-3.
Sharapova, the 2006 champion from Russia who’s seeded 14th this year, was a 6-1, 6-2 winner over Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic in the first match of the night session.
Wild-Card Winner
Sharapova will next face American Beatrice Capra, a wild- card entrant who upset 18th-seeded Aravane Rezai of France 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 to reach the third round in her first Grand Slam. At 371 in the WTA Tour rankings, Capra is the lowest-ranked player to reach the third round at the U.S. Open since 2002.
“I always wanted to play in one of the Grand Slams,” the 18-year-old Capra said at a news conference. “Whenever I want something, I do my best to get it. I just can’t believe that it’s happening.”
Kei Nishikori, the only Japanese man in the draw, overcame arm and leg cramps to beat 11th seed Marin Cilic of Croatia in a five-set match that took 4 hours, 59 minutes. Temperatures on the outside court with no shade reached 91 degrees Fahrenheit (31 Celsius), according to the National Weather Service.
“I’m pretty tired,” Nishikori, who had cramps in his racket hand as the final game began, said in a televised interview. “I was cramping from second set, third set, but I kept fighting.”
Five-Set Match
Jurgen Melzer, the 13th seed from Austria, also went five sets in a win over Lithuania’s Ricardas Berankis.
Nikolay Davydenko, the Russian No. 6 seed, lost to Frenchman Richard Gasquet in straight sets. Davydenko was 0-for- 8 on break points, while Gasquet converted four of seven.
Robin Soderling, the fifth seed from Sweden, No. 19 seed Mardy Fish of the U.S. and 21st seed Albert Montanes of Spain had straight-set wins.
With the men’s second round not even halfway through, 11 of 32 seeds have been eliminated. Eleven women’s seeds have lost, with the second round almost complete in their draw.
Shuai Peng of China beat Agnieszka Radwanska, the ninth seed from Poland, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Jelena Jankovic, the fourth-seed from Serbia, won her second-round match, as did Vera Zvonareva, the No. 7 seed and runner-up at Wimbledon this year, No. 11 seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova and Yanina Wickmayer, the No. 15 seed from Belgium. Switzerland’s Patty Schnyder beat 22nd-seeded Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain.
To contact the reporters on this story: Mason Levinson at the U.S. Open at mlevinson@bloomberg.net. Erik Matuszewski at the U.S. Open at matuszewski@bloomberg.net
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