Close, but Federer through

ROGER FEDERER feared for his French Open existence during his testing second-round win over Argentina’s Jose Acasuso yesterday.

The second seed ended up clinching a 7-6 (10/8) 5-7 7-6 (7/2) 6-2 victory over the world number 45, but could easily have lost the first three sets.

He saved four set points in the first-set tie-break and another one midway through the third set, during which he really lost his way.

The Swiss came through smiling, though, showing decent form in the fourth set but he knows it could have been a different story.

“Yes, we both could have won the first three sets,” he said.

“So I’m thrilled to have got through such a tough match.

“Coming through a tough match like this is always a great feeling. I’m not part of such close matches that often so when they happen, it’s great to put in the fight when you can.”

Fifth seed Juan Martin del Potro’s progress into round three, a stage he has never reached before at Roland Garros, was much more serene.

The Argentinian shipped just seven games in his opening win over Michael Llodra and he was almost as emphatic yesterday, easing past Viktor Troicki 6-3 7-5 6-0.

Del Potro will next play Russia’s Igor Andreev, the 25th seed who battled past Martin Vassallo Arguello in five sets.

Novak Djokovic, the fourth seed, saw his second-round match stopped for bad light when he was leading Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-3 6-4.

The Williams sisters both made it into round three but in very contrasting styles.

While Serena, the second seed, found some welcome form on clay to rout Spain’s Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-2 6-0 in 57 minutes, Venus rallied from match point down to defeat Lucie Safarova in a three-set thriller.

“She served very well and didn’t give me a lot of points,” said Venus, who next plays 29th seed Agnes Szavay.

“It was one of those matches that feels really good to win because the level of play was so high. I feel very good. I’ve played two players who really brought their ‘A’ game and were attacking. To come through is really good.”

Serena’s display was a far cry from the one she produced in round one against world number 100 Klara Zakopalova.

On that occasion, Williams recovered from going 2-1 down in the deciding set and needed nine match points to eventually take victory.

Ruano Pascual, who can be found even further down the rankings in 133rd, was much more accommodating, the younger Williams breaking twice in the first set and three times in the second to clinch a third-round meeting with Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez.

“Everything clicked for me today, finally,” she said. “I’m not nearly as upset as I was the other day.”

Earlier, title contenders Jelena Jankovic and Svetlana Kuznetsova eased into round three with straight-sets wins.

Former world number four Jelena Dokic was forced to retire with a back injury when she was a set up against fourth seed Elena Dementieva.