THENS, Aug 17: World Number One Roger Federer crashed out of the Olympics tennis event on Tuesday, losing to unheralded Czech player Tomas Berdych, 6-4, 5-7, 5-7.
The Wimbledon champion from Switzerland took the opening set, but was unable to stop his opponent from winning the next two to advance to the third round.
Third seed Carlos Moya of Spain made it into the next round with 6-0, 7-6 (7-3) victory over unranked Belgian Olivier Rochus. Other seeded players to go through in the men's competition were 10th ranked Nicolas Massu of Chile, who edged Vincent Spadea (USA) 7- 6 (7:3), 6-2 and Tommy Robredo of Spain, who edged Fabrice Santoro of France 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Men's fifth seed Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain was a second-round casualty, going out to Mardy Fish of the United States 4-6, 7-6 (7- 5), 6-4. Ninth seed Marat Safin of Russia also bowed out in a 7-6 (7-4), 6- 3 defeat to Feliciano Lopez of Spain.
Among the other men's seeds to progress were number eight Sebastien Grosjean of France who beat Australia's Wayne Arthurs 7-6 (7-2), 6-3, and Germany's Nicolas Kiefer, seeded 14th, who enjoyed a hard-fought 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 victory over Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.
In the women's event, top seed Justine Henin-Hardenne cruised into the third round with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Maria Vento-Kabchi of Venezuela. The world number one from Belgium, playing at her first Olympics, took just 64 minutes for the victory.
Number three seed Anastasia Myskina of Russia dropped a set in beating Kristina Brandi of Puerto Rico 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Also through was fifth seed Svetlana Kusnetsova of Russia who downed Akiko Morigami of Japan 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, and eighth seed Ai Sugiyama of Japan who beat Tetyana Perebiynis of Ukraine 7-5, 6-4.
Sydney Olympics gold medallist Venus Williams of the United States whitewashed Maja Matevzic of Slovenia 6-0, 6:0 and Lisa Raymond (USA) crushed 14th seed Silvia Farina Elia of Italy 6-1, 6-2. -dpa
