Federer wobbles and recovers to go through
AUSTRALIAN OPEN Swiss sets up clash with old foe Berdych; Murray falls but pulls through; Birthday girl Kerber up
MELBOURNE: Roger Federer dug himself out of a late slump to fend off American qualifier Noah Rubin 7-5 6-3 7-6(3) on Wednesday and draw vital confidence for a tough third round clash against 10th seed Tomas Berdych at the Australian Open. The 17-time Grand Slam champion, still finding his feet after a six-month break, had to save two set points and rally from 5-2 down in the third before closing out a galvanising win on a breezy afternoon at Rod Laver Arena. “He’s caused difficulties for me in the past on faster courts,” Federer said of Berdych. The 17th seeding has ensured a demanding path to the second week for the Swiss. Top seed Andy Murray sped into the third round but bad boy Nick Kyrgios was booed and accused of not trying as he crashed to a stormy defeat. Murray painfully rolled an ankle and needed treatment in the third set against Russian qualifier Andrey Rublev, but he shook off the problem to win 6-3, 6-0, 6-2. While the world No 1 cruised, Kyrgios stood accused of tanking, or giving up, during his 1-6, 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 6-2, 10-8 loss to Andreas Seppi.
Kyrgios, who is returning from a ban for “lack of best efforts” in a match in Shanghai, played lethargically and casually, especially in the fifth set. John McEnroe said Kyrgios’s lack of effort was a “black eye for the sport”. Kyrgios explained that “my body was sore. I was hurting. “I mean, John McEnroe. Good on him. Great career. Good on him.”
CELEBRATIONS
Federer wasn’t the only leading player challenged in the second round as Kerber, the women’s defending champion, dropped a set against world No 89 Carina Witthoeft.
Kerber won 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 6-2 before being treated to a rendition of “Happy Birthday” by the Rod Laver Arena crowd.
In the men’s draw, Japanese fifth seed Kei Nishikori marched into the third round alongside former finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, with both winning in straight sets.
Stan Wawrinka, the 2014 winner, recovered from his tetchy five-setter with Martin Klizan to beat Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.
In the women’s draw, 36-yearold Venus Williams continued her smooth progress when she beat qualifier Stefanie Voegele 6-3, 6-2 to set up a meeting with China’s Duan Yingying.
Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova thrashed Australian wildcard Jaimee Fourlis 6-2, 6-1 to set up a third-round clash with 31-yearold Serb Jelena Jankovic.
And Britain’s Dan Evans claimed the highest-ranked scalp of his career when he stunned former US Open champion Marin Cilic, the world No 7, in four sets.