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Federer, Djokovic reach third round at Madrid Masters

Wed 15th, October 2008

Madrid, Spain (Sports Network) - U.S. Open champion Roger Federer and Australian Open titlist Novak Djokovic were among Wednesday's second-round winners at the $2.78 million Madrid Masters -- the eighth of nine ATP Masters Series events this year.

The second-seeded Swiss Federer drove past dangerous Czech Radek Stepanek 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) on the indoor hardcourt at Madrid Arena.

The 13-time major champion and 2006 Madrid titlist Federer was upset by Argentine star David Nalbandian in last year's finale here.

Federer's third-round opponent on Thursday will be Australian Open runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France.

The third-seeded Djokovic was leading qualifier Victor Hanescu 3-1 in the third set on Day 4 when the Romanian retired due to a leg injury. The Serbian Djokovic dropped the first set 6-7 (8-10) and won the second 7-6 (8-6) before embarking on the abbreviated third.

Up next for Djokovic will be 6-foot-10 Croatian slugger Ivo Karlovic.

Upsets came when American qualifier Robby Ginepri took out fifth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, Feliciano Lopez upended sixth-seeded fellow Spaniard David Ferrer 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) and Frenchman Gael Monfils toppled 12th-seeded Olympic silver medalist Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 6-4. Monfils was a runner-up in Vienna last week. The Chilean Gonzalez reached the final here in Madrid in 2006, losing to Federer.

Meanwhile, a seventh-seeded and defending Madrid champion Nalbandian got past big Czech Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1, ninth-seeded Argentine Juan Martin del Potro downed Finn Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 4-2 and 10th-seeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka overcame German Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5). Nieminen retired in the second set against del Potro due to a leg injury. Nalbandian, who also reached the Madrid finale in 2004, is fresh off his title in Stockholm last week.

In other second-round action, a 14th-seeded Karlovic snuck past last week's Stockholm runner-up Robin Soderling, of Sweden, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (10-8) and a 16th-seeded Tsonga came back to beat Spanish qualifier Marcel Granollers 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).

In addition to Federer-Tsonga and Djokovic-Karlovic here on Thursday, world No. 1 Spanish hero Rafael Nadal will take on 15th-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet. The 2005 Madrid titlist Nadal is the reigning Wimbledon, French Open and Olympic champ.

Some other marquee third-rounders on Day 5 will pit fourth-seeded U.S. Open runner-up Andy Murray against rising Croat Marin Cilic and Nalbandian versus his Argentine countryman del Potro.

The 2008 Madrid titlist will collect $490,000.

Where the players come to play and STAY.