CINCINNATI, Aug 13: Wimbledon champion Roger Federer saved seven match points in a battle royal with Australian Scott Draper before prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 to reach the second round of the Cincinnati Masters Series on Tuesday. Federer, the world number two, needed four match points of his own to close out a dramatic final set tiebreak 12-10.
Tuesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):
First round: 3-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Scott Draper (Australia) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (12-10); 8-Rainer Schuettler (Germany) beat Stefan Koubek (Austria) 6-2, 7-5; Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat 9-Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) 6-7 (1-7), 6-4, 7-6 (7-5); Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) beat Vincent Spadea (US) 7-5, 6-4; Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat Fernando Vicente (Spain) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4; Mardy Fish (US) beat Mark Philippoussis (Australia) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4; Arnaud Clement (France) beat Albert Costa (Spain) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; Xavier Malisse (Belgium) beat 5-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2; 2-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) beat Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 6-0, 6-2; Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) beat Jan-Michael Gambill (US) 6-4, 6-4; 7-Andy Roddick (US) beat Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 6-3, 6-2; Mariano Zabaleta (Argentina) beat 14-Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil) 6-4, 6-0; David Nalbandian (Argentina) beat Wayne Arthurs (Australia) 6-0, 6-4; Max Mirnyi (Belarus) beat Alex Corretja (Spain) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2); Flavio Saretta (Brazil) beat David Sanchez (Spain) 6-7 (2-7), 6-1, 6-2; Wesley Moodie (South Africa) beat Sebastien Grosjean (France) 3-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3.
MALEEVA BEATEN
TORONTO: Sixth seed Magdalena Maleeva was the most high-profile casualty on the second day of the Canadian Open on Tuesday. Spain’s Magui Serna earned a place in the third round with a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 victory over Bulgarian Maleeva. Serna was joined in the third round by seventh seed Amanda Coetzer and number eight Jelena Dokic.—Reuters/AFP