The Hindu : Sport : Nadal, Federer advance with ease

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Nadal, Federer advance with ease

Henin sets up a clash with Sharapova

— PHOTO: AFP

POWER AND POISE:Rafael Nadal stayed on course for a fifth French Open crown with an easy win over Argentina's Horacio Zeballos at the Roland Garros on Friday.

PARIS: French Open heavyweights Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal lifted the French Open gloom on Friday with the Spanish claycourt king setting up a fourth Roland Garros clash in five years with Lleyton Hewitt.

Defending champion Federer cruised past German qualifier Julian Reister 6-4, 6-0, 6-4 to reach the fourth round and will tackle either fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinkaor Italy's Fabio Fognini for a place in the quarterfinals.

Nadal, the second seed, was untroubled as he cruised past Argentina's Horacio Zeballos, a fellow left-hander, 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 in his delayed second-round clash.

Former world No.1 Hewitt, the 28th seed and twice a quarterfinalist, displayed his trademark gutsy talents to see off Denis Istomin of Uzbekistan 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.

Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic, a semifinalist in 2007 and 2008, cantered to a 6-1, 6-4, 6-4 win over Japan's Kei Nishikori and will face Romania's Victor Hanescu for a place in the last 16.

Gonzalez exits

Chilean 12th seed Fernando Gonzalez, a semifinalist in 2009, was surprisingly defeated by Ukrainian world No. 56 Oleksandr Dolgopolov Junior, who claimed a 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 second-round win.

Later in the day, fourth seed Andy Murray beat Marcos Baghdatis 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2.

Meanwhile in the women's section, Venus Williams led the charge into the fourth round after four-time champion Justine Henin had set up a headline-grabbing clash with Maria Sharapova.

Second seed Williams was the first woman to reach the last 16 following a 6-3, 6-4 defeat of Slovakian 26th seed Dominika Cibulkova.

The day's early matches involved players completing second-round ties held over from Thursday's washout, with Henin finishing off a straightforward 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Czech Klara Zakopalova.

Sharapova, the 12th seed and former world No.1 , now bars Henin's route to a fifth title after she a completed 6-3, 6-3 win over Henin's Belgian compatriot Kirsten Flipkens.

Earlier, top seed Serena Williams demolished German world number 77 Julia Goerges 6-1, 6-1 in just 55 minutes.

She will next face Russian 29th seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova for a place in the fourth round. — Agencies

Prefix denotes seeding

Men: Third round: 20-Stanislas Wawrinka bt Fabio Fognini 6-3, 6-4, 6-1; 5-Robin Soderling bt 29-Albert Montaqis 6-4, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3; 4-Andy Murray bt 25-Marcos Baghdatis 6-2, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2; 15-Tomas Berdych bt 17-John Isner 6-2, 6-2, 6-1; 8-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bt Thiemo de Bakker 6-7(6), 7-6(4), 6-3, 6-4; 1-Roger Federer bt Julian Reister 6-4, 6-0, 6-4.

Second round: 14-Ivan Ljubicic bt Mardy Fish 6-2, 6-7(8), 4-6, 6-2, 10-8; 22-Jurgen Melzer bt Nicolas Mahut 6-1, 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-4; 9-David Ferrer bt Xavier Malisse 6-2, 6-2, 2-0, retd.; 16-Juan Carlos Ferrero bt Pere Riba 7-6(5), 6-7(13), 6-2, 6-2; Robby Ginepri bt Potito Starace 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3; 31-Victor Hanescu bt Yuri Schukin 6-3, 6-4, 6-2; 3-Novak Djokovic bt Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-4, 6-4; 7-Fernando Verdasco bt Florent Serra 6-2, 6-2, 0-6, 6-4; 30-Philipp Kohlschreiber bt Andreas Seppi 7-6(5), 6-3, 7-5; 19-Nicolas Almagro bt Steve Darcis 6-3, 6-0, 7-5.

Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr. bt 12-Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 6-4, 6-3; 24-Thomaz Belluci bt Pablo Andzjar 1-6, 6-3, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2; 28-Lleyton Hewitt bt Denis Istomin 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2; 2-Rafael Nadal bt Horacio Zeballos 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

Women: Third round: 14-Flavia Pennetta bt Polona Hercog 6-3, 6-0; 3-Caroline Wozniacki bt 31-Alexandra Dulgheru 6-3, 6-4; 2-Venus Williams bt 26-Dominika Cibulkova 6-3, 6-4.

Second round: 1-Serena Williams bt Julia Goerges 6-1, 6-1; 29-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova bt Jill Craybas (USA) 6-4, 6-1; 13-Marion Bartoli bt Olivia Sanchez 7-5, 6-2; 12-Maria Sharapova bt Kirsten Flipkens 6-3, 6-3; 22-Justine Henin bt Klara Zakopalova 6-3, 6-3.

Anastasia Pivovarova bt 25-Zheng Jie 6-4, 6-3; 7-Samantha Stosur bt Rossana De Los Rios 4-6, 6-1, 6-0; 23-Daniela Hantuchova bt Olga Govortsova 7-5, 6-3; 16-Yanina Wickmayer bt Sybille Bammer 7-6(4), 1-6, 7-5.

Thursday's results:

Men: Second round: Murray bt Juan Ignacio Chela 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-2; Isner bt Marco Chiudinelli 6-7(3), 7-6(3), 7-6(7), 6-4.

Women: Second round: 18-Shahar Peer bt Bethanie Mattek-Sands 3-6, 6-0, 6-1; 27-Alona Bondarenko bt Magdalina Rybarikova 6-3, 6-3 .

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