Federer, Mauresmo remain on course
Federer is desperate to complete his grand slam collection by winning on his least favoured surface while Mauresmo has spent her career trying in vain to fulfil the expectations of the home crowd at Roland Garros.
The Swiss was well short of his best in the first round but after two days’ rest he pummelled Colombian Alejandro Falla 6-1 6-4 6-3 on a wintry Court Suzanne Lenglen.
Mauresmo had a more difficult time against Russian Vera Dushevina, who served for the second set before eventually losing 6-1 7-6 to the Australian Open champion.
Two others hungry for a first win at Roland Garros, women’s fourth seed Maria Sharapova and men’s third seed David Nalbandian, also claimed impressive victories.
Sharapova showed no ill effects from her ankle problem when she dispatched Czech Iveta Benesova 6-4 6-1. Nalbandian put French teenager Richard Gasquet in his place with a 6-2 3-6 7-5 6-0 second round win.
Federer, who had trailed 3-0 and 5-3 to tour debutant Diego Hartfield in the first round before winning, re-asserted his authority against Falla.
His win was almost as one-sided as his thrashing of the same player at Wimbledon two years ago, when Federer lost only three games.
Both his and Sharapova’s matches were interrupted twice by rain and the players spent a total of 90 minutes twiddling their thumbs.
“It’s not easy to come on and off, the conditions are really slow and wet,” said Federer. “But I was always in control of the match. I could play very freely which was a nice feeling to have because the first round was more difficult. I’m just happy I finished the match today.”
Mauresmo easily beat Dushevina in Berlin earlier this month but the Frenchwoman rarely looks comfortable at her home grand slam and showed signs of frailty in the second set.
Dushevina, 19, led 5-4 and 6-5 in it before Mauresmo forced a tiebreak. In that Mauresmo double-faulted on her first match point, ballooned a forehand and a backhand long on the next two and finally sealed it 7-5 when Dushevina skied a forehand.
“I struggled a lot in the second set,” admitted Mauresmo. All of a sudden, I’m not sure if it’s in my mind or I just relaxed too much... something happened.
“Things sort of weren’t functioning any more.”
Sharapova, the 19-year-old former Wimbledon champion who had to save three match points in her first round victory, always had too much power down both flanks for Benesova, the world number 53.
“You just have to adjust and be patient,” said the Russian, who could face Mauresmo in the semi-finals.
Sharapova was joined in round three by compatriots Svetlana Kuznetsova, the eighth seed, and Dinara Safina.
Venus Williams, the American 11th seed, recovered from 4-0 down in the first set to beat Finland’s Emma Laine 7-6 6-2 in a match that finished at 9.48pm local time in virtual darkness.
Federer could meet German Nicolas Kiefer, who has given him trouble in previous meetings, in the fourth round. Kiefer, the 13th seed, won a fifth-set thriller 11-9 to beat Frenchman Marc Gicquel.
Russian sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko, a semi-finalist last year, coasted into the third round when his Brazilian opponent Flavio Saretta retired when trailing 6-2 4-1 because he felt unwell.
He faces a tough third round match against 1998 champion Carlos Moya of Spain.
Two other former champions, Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain and Argentine Gaston Gaudio who won in 2003 and 2004 respectively, won their matches to set up a third-round meeting.
Tim Henman will have to produce a stirring comeback if he is to avoid going out to Dmitry Tursunov.
Henman had to wait until late in the day to get on to Court Two after a rain-soaked afternoon and his frustration was not helped as the Russian took a two sets to love lead before bad light stopped play.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
