Federer breezes into third round
MELBOURNE, Australia – Roger Federer was prepared to be entertained against Fabrice Santoro. The Swiss star even chimed in.
Santoro’s wily courtcraft, anticipation and phenomenal retrieving have carried him through a record 62 Grand Slam tournaments, but he was no match for Federer when they shared the stage today at the Australian Open.
Often players get frustrated with chasing chips, drops and between-the-leg shots and are bamboozled when Santoro goes to his double-handed slice forehand.
But against Federer, who can pick up half-volleys and turn them into winners like nobody else on tour, Santoro didn’t have a chance.
When Santoro did win a closely contested point when Federer miscued an overhead from an opportunistic defensive lob, he threw up his hands in victory and jogged around in circles as if he had just finished off the match.
But it was a rare mistake for Federer, who had 53 winners and 18 unforced errors and ran off the last 10 games of a 6-1, 6-2, 6-0 win to advance.
“Obviously I always enjoy the match against Fabrice,” said Federer, chasing his third consecutive Australian Open title and his 13th major.
No. 3-ranked Novak Djokovic, who beat Federer in the final of the Masters Series event in Canada last year and then lost to him in the U.S. Open final, had a 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 win over Simone Bolelli.
Venus Williams’ radar was off against France’s Camille Pin, but she did not want to risk going three sets against her.
Down a break of serve in the second set, the eighth-ranked Williams rallied to get back to 4-4 and won the last two games for a 7-5, 6-4 victory.
Second-ranked Svetlana Kuznetsova was desperate to win the first set against Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova. The former U.S. Open champion has never won a match at the Australian Open after conceding the first set.
She had her difficulties in a 7-6 (0), 6-2 win, having to come back from 3-0 and 5-2 down in the first set.
Other women’s seeded players advancing were No. 6 Anna Chakvetadze, No. 9 Daniela Hantuchova and No. 27 Maria Kirilenko, who beat Akiko Morigami of Japan 6-1, 6-1.
Joining Federer in the third round were No. 13 Tomas Berdych, who beat Oscar Hernandez 6-2, 6-1, 6-3, and former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero.