Federer repeats history with win over Phau

History repeated itself for Roger Federer as the top seed beat Bjorn Phau 6-2, 6-3, 6-2 to advance at the US Open 13 years after first defeating the German journeyman. Federer dismissed his second round opponent on Thursday without ceremony to win his 23rd night match at Flushing Meadows without a loss.

Phau remained without a career place in a Grand Slam third round after his defeat in 90 minutes, ended with a stinging ace. Federer is bidding for an 18th singles trophy at a major tournament and is to clash next with Spain’s Fernando Verdasco, a winner over Albert Ramos 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

“It was a great match for me,” Federer said. “Bjorn had some incredible shot-making. The next match with Verdasco will be another tough one. He’s a guy who has been around a long time and had some big wins.

He’s a lefty, so that makes thing different.”

Tsonga falls

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga became the highest seeded player to fall so far at the US Open when the fifth-seeded Frenchman went down 6-4, 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 to Slovak Martin Klizan.

Another veteran, the revitalised 32-year-old James Blake, rolled back the clock with a 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 hammering of Marcel Granollers, hitting 90 per cent of his first serve points and producing 29 winners in the rout. Americans Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey both reached the third round while teenaged compatriot Jack Sock put his best foot forward in a defeat of Flavio Cipolla 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.

Spanish 11th seed Nicolas Almagro needed five sets in a week already full of marathons, beating German Philipp Petzschner 6-3, 5-7, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4. Number 12 Croatian Marin Cilic defeated German Daniel Brands 6-3, 6-2, 5-7, 4-6, 7-5. Canadian 15th seed Milos Raonic sent over 30 aces in his defeat of Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-5, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).

Ivanovic, Serena progress

In the women’s draw, second seed Agnieszka Radwanska needed to win the last 11 games against Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 to ensure her trip into the third round.

Wimbledon champion Serena Williams defeated Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez 6-2, 6-4 while French Open finalist Sara Errani rolled over Vera Dushevina 6-0, 6-1. Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic put two match wins together for the first time in a month with the former number one advancing 6-2, 6-2 over Sweden’s Sofia Arvidsson.

Ivanovic was joined as a winner by 13th seed Dominika Cibulkova, who beat young Serb Bojana Jovanovski 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3), and Russian 14th seed Maria Kirilenko, a winner over Greta Arn of Hungary 6-3, 6-2.

Federer, Murray could have rematch in US Open semis

NEW YORK: Roger Federer and Andy Murray could meet in a US Open semifinal that would be a rematch of their recent finals at Wimbledon and the London Olympics.

The top-seeded Federer and No. 3 Murray were placed in the same section of the field during Thursday's draw at Flushing Meadows for the year's last Grand Slam tournament. Play begins Monday.

Federer beat Murray in July for his record-tying seventh championship at the All England Club; Murray beat Federer this month on the same Centre Court grass for the gold medal.

Second-seeded Novak Djokovic, the US Open's defending champion, could face No. 4 David Ferrer in the semifinals.


Rafael Nadal, who owns 11 Grand Slam titles and is ranked third, withdrew with knee trouble that has sidelined him since he lost in the second round of Wimbledon in late June. This is the first US Open since 2008 that doesn't have the quartet of Federer, Djokovic, Murray and Nadal as the top four seeded men, in some order.

The potential men's quarterfinals are Federer vs. No. 6 Tomas Berdych, who upset him in the 2010 Wimbledon quarterfinals; Djokovic vs. 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro; Murray vs. No. 5 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga; Ferrer vs. No. 8 Janko Tipsarevic.

Possible women's quarterfinal matchups are top-seeded Victoria Azarenka vs. defending champion Sam Stosur; four-time major champion Maria Sharapova vs. 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova; 14-time Grand Slam title winner Serena Williams vs. former No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki; No. 2 Agnieszka Radwanska vs. No. 6 Angelique Kerber.


Williams' older sister Venus, who is ranked 47th this week and not seeded, plays American wild-card entry Bethanie Mattek-Sands in the first round and could face Kerber in the second. Venus Williams, the 2000 and 2001 champion, pulled out of last year's US Open hours before she was scheduled to play in the second round, revealing that she had been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease.

Four-time major champion Kim Clijsters will begin what she says will be the last tournament of her career against American wild-card recipient Victoria Duval. Clijsters, a 29-year-old Belgian who is seeded 23rd, might face Stosur in the fourth round.


Clijsters won the US Open the last three times she entered the hard-court tournament, in 2005, 2009 and 2010. She missed it last year because of a stomach muscle injury.