MELBOURNE – Reigning champion Roger Federer was taken to five gripping sets by French nemesis Gilles Simon Wednesday before scraping into the Australian Open’s third round.
The world number two, defending his only remaining Grand Slam crown, was pegged back from two sets up before scoring his first-ever win over Simon, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-3, to stay on course for his fifth Open title. It was a desperately close call for the 29-year-old, who holds a record 16 Grand Slam titles and only narrowly avoided his worst performance at a major in eight years, and his poorest ever Australian Open outing. The Swiss was powerless against Simon’s laser-guided groundstrokes in the third and fourth sets but recovered to find the crucial break with his famous forehand and aced the fifth match point after huge tension at Rod Laver Arena. Federer is bidding to become only the second man to win five Australian Opens after six-time champion Roy Emerson, and thwart arch-rival Nadal’s bid to unite all four Grand Slam titles for the first time in 42 years.
Serbian third seed Novak Djokovic also had difficulties in his ethnically- charged clash with Croatia’s Ivan Dodig. Djokovic, who won his only major title here in 2008, let slip a set before winning 7-5, 6-7 (8/10), 6-0, 6-2. Earlier Venus Williams bravely battled through a painful muscle strain to reach the third round, women’s top seed Caroline Wozniacki finally hit form and Spain’s Fernando Verdasco survived another five-set thriller. Injury-hit Williams’ first tournament since the US Open looked to have ended in disaster as she screamed and clutched herself in pain when losing the first set’s decisive point against Czech Sandra Zahlavova. The 30-year-old limped off for treatment and looked uncomfortable when she returned with her right thigh strapped. But the seven-time Grand Slam winner was quickly in the points and saw Zahlavova off 6-7 (6/8), 6-0, 6-4. Russian glamour girl Maria Sharapova beat France’s Virginie Razzano. Denmark’s Wozniacki, 20, shook off a troubled start to the year with a 6-1, 6-0 demolition of America’s Vania King, burying 23 winners to reach the third round and join a list of impressive women’s winners. Belgium’s Henin won 6-1, 6-3 against Briton Elena Baltacha and Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Arantxa Rus 6-1, 6-4. On Tuesday, favourite Kim Clijsters had humiliated former finalist Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-0.
