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Federer, Djokovic, Roddick move on to third round at Open

Fri 29th, August 2008

Flushing Meadows, NY (Sports Network) - Reigning four-time champion Roger Federer extended his U.S. Open winning streak to 29 straight matches with a second-round victory Friday, while Novak Djokovic cruised in his match at the fourth and final major of the year.

The second-seeded Federer handled Brazilian qualifier Thiago Alves 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 at Ashe Stadium. The 12-time major champion from Switzerland hasn't lost here since the fourth round back in 2003.

Federer fired 19 aces at a game Alves, who was able to keep things relatively close while the Swiss scattered an uncharacteristic 46 unforced errors in a 2- hour, 14-minute affair.

The Wimbledon and French Open runner-up Federer beat reigning Australian Open titlist Djokovic in last year's U.S. Open finale.

Federer had been ranked No. 1 in the world since February 2004 before being supplanted at the top by reigning Wimbledon, four-time French Open and Olympic titlist Rafael Nadal on August 18.

Djokovic, looking to redeem last year's runner-up finish in Flushing, didn't need much time to send Robert Kendrick packing, as the No. 3 seed blitzed the American 7-6 (10-8), 6-4, 6-4.

Eighth-seeded American Andy Roddick, the 2003 title winner here, didn't have such an easy time against Ernests Gulbis of Latvia. Coincidentally, both players were born on August 30, and both brought out the best in each other's games.

Gulbis took the first set and served for the second at 5-4. However, Roddick stepped up his game behind the energy of the New York crowd and won the next six games, ultimately pulling off a 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 7-5 triumph.

Former Open champ Marat Safin was shown the door by 15th-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo. The Russian took the first set and battled to a tiebreak in the second, but ultimately ran out of gas in a 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4, 6-0 defeat.

Meanwhile, fifth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko doused Argentine Agustin Calleri 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2) on Day 5 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

The steady Davydenko, seeking a third straight trip into the U.S. Open semifinals, will meet fellow Russian Dmitry Tursunov in the round of 32. A 26th-seeded Tursunov came from behind to beat capable Romanian Victor Hanescu 6-7 (2-7), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

Former Australian Open runner-up Fernando Gonzalez also moved on, as the Chilean slugger handled American Bobby Reynolds 7-6 (8-6), 6-4, 6-4. The 11th- seeded "Gonzo" was an Olympic silver medalist in Beijing earlier this month.

Fiery Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France ousted Carlos Moya of Spain, as the No. 19 seed and runner-up in this year's Australian Open, moved on with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win.

In a four-hour, 10-minute marathon of a match, Spain's No. 13 seed Fernando Verdasco outlasted Portugal's Rui Machado 6-7 (5-7),7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-7 (6-8), 6-0.

Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic and Italy's Andreas Seppi needed four sets to dispose of their second-round opponents. The 28th-seeded Stepanek topped Australian Chris Guccione 6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, while Seppi, sporting the 31st ranking, ended Guillermo Garcia-Lopez's tournament by winning 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

Eighteenth-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro cruised past American Sam Warburg 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, while 23rd-seeded Russian Igor Andreev erased Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, 6-3 and American Robby Ginepri lost to 30th-seeded 6- foot-5 Croatian teenager Marin Cilic 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. Ginepri was a semifinalist here three years ago.

A pair of unseeded gentlemen overcame two-set deficits on Friday, as Luxembourg's Gilles Muller came all the way back to stun former top-five star Tommy Haas of Germany 2-6, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3, 6-3 and Finn Jarkko Nieminen fought his way past Czech Ivo Minar 6-7 (2-7), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. The talented but oft-injured Haas reached the quarterfinals here the last two years and is still seeking that elusive first-ever trip into a Grand Slam final.

Where the players come to play and STAY.