The Hindu : Sport : Federer has it easy

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Wednesday, May 09, 2007
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Federer has it easy

TOUGH MATCH: Marat Safin executes a return against Amer Delic. — Photo: AP

ROME: Roger Federer began his bid for a first Rome Masters title with a 6-3 6-4 victory over Nicolas Almagro on Tuesday.

The world No.1, who had been given a bye into the second round, won with the minimum effort, raising his game to break the Spaniard in his opening service game and then again in the first game of the second set.

When Almagro created his sole break point of the match in the fifth game of the second set, Federer saved it with an unreturnable serve.

Dynamic display

In Tuesday's first-round matches, Marcos Baghdatis gave the most dynamic display, unleashing a barrage of powerful, angled groundstrokes to sweep aside former French Open winner Carlos Moya 6-2 6-3 in just over an hour.

Marat Safin set up an all-Russian second-round clash against fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko by beating Amer Delic 2-6 6-3 6-4.

The results: At Rome (Rome Masters): Second round: Roger Federer bt Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-4; Jose Acasuso bt Ivan Ljubicic 6-4, 6-3. First round: Olivier Rochus bt Michael Llodra 5-7, 6-3, 6-3; Filippo Volandri bt Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-0, 6-3; Mikhail Youzhny bt Julien Benneteau 6-1, 3-6, 6-2; Richard Gasquet bt Fernando Verdasco 6-1, 7-5; Gaston Gaudio bt Mardy Fish 6-4, 6-4; James Blake bt Gael Monfils 7-6(4), 6-3; Albert Montanes bt Stanislas Wawrinka 3-6, 6-1, 7-6(3); Marat Safin bt Amer Delic 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Radek Stepanek bt Tommy Haas 6-3, 3-2 (retd.); Tomas Berdych bt Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 7-5; Marcos Baghdatis bt Carlos Moya 6-2, 6-3; Daniele Bracciali bt Robby Ginepri 7-5, 7-6(2); Potito Starace bt Agustin Calleri 6-3, 6-1; Guillermo Canas bt Juergen Melzer 7-5, 6-2; Robin Soderling bt Benjamin Becker 6-3, 6-3; Gilles Simon bt Andy Murray 6-1, 1-6, 6-3; Oscar Hernandez bt Lleyton Hewitt 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-1.

At Berlin (WTA German Open): First round: Martina Mueller bt Eleni Daniilidou 6-0, 6-2; Lourdes Dominguez Lino bt Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-1; Peng Shuai bt Andrea Petkovic 6-3, 7-5; Anna Chakvetadze bt Samantha Stosur 3-6, 7-6(1), 7-6; Kateryna Bondarenko bt Kaia Kanepi 5-7, 7-6 (3), 6-2; Elena Dementieva bt Mara Santangelo 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

At Prague (WTA Prague Open): First round: Olga Poutchkova bt Karolina Pliskova 7-6(2) 7-5; Dominika Cibulkova bt Gisela Dulko 6-3 7-6(5); Klara Zakopalova bt Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-2 7-5; Jarmila Gajdosova bt Anastasia Rodionova 6-1 6-0; Julia Schruff bt Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 7-6; Virginie Razzano bt Sun Tiantian 6-0, 7-5; Milagros Sequera bt Julie Ditty 6-2, 6-4; Sandra Kloesel bt Tamarine Tanasugarn 7-5, 6-0. — Agencies

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