Australian Open, Melbourne
Venue: Melbourne Park Dates: 17-30 January
Coverage: Watch on BBC TV, Red Button, BBC Sport website (UK only) & Eurosport; listen on BBC 5 live sports extra and online; text commentary online; full details  Federer looked fresh despite playing five sets in his previous match
Roger Federer continued the defence of his Australian Open title with a comfortable third-round victory over the unseeded Belgian Xavier Malisse. The world number two trailed 3-1 in the second set but reeled off 10 games in a row to win 6-3 6-3 6-1 in 105 minutes. Next up for him is Tommy Robredo, who beat Sergiy Stakhovsky in four sets. The other top men's seeds in action, Novak Djokovic, Tomas Berdych, Andy Roddick and Fernando Verdasco all made it through in Melbourne as well. The highest-profile loser in the men's draw on Friday was the 12-seed Frenchman Gael Monfils, who was blown off court by an inspired Stanislas Wawrinka. The Swiss, seeded 19, beat Monfils 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 6-3. Wawrinka powers past Monfils Federer had been taken to five gruelling sets by Frenchman Gilles Simon on Wednesday, but encountered no such problems against Malisse. The pair came through the junior ranks together and constructed several eye-catching exchanges, but Federer always seemed capable of stepping up a level. He stormed into a 4-0 lead in the opening set and, although Malisse retained hope with a break of his own, served out to get his nose in front. His 45th-ranked opened threatened a comeback at the start of the second, breaking to establish a 3-1 lead, but Federer then turned the screw to reassert his authority. Malisse cut a beleaguered figure as Federer toyed with him in the third set, offering a bow to the crowd in mock celebration when he finally registered a game. Sixteen-time Grand Slam champion Federer cruised over the line and said: "I am still happy I passed the test against Simon.  | 606: DEBATE |
"Today wasn't a whole lot easier although the scoreline might suggest it." Third seed Djokovic secured his place after only one set after Viktor Troicki was forced to retire with a strained stomach muscle. Djokovic won the opening set 6-2 in 39 minutes before his Serbian Davis Cup team-mate had to announce his withdrawal. "It's not the way you want to win a match, especially against one of your best friends," said 2008 champion Djokovic. Djokovic reached the quarter-finals in all four Grand Slams last year and will hope to push the top two seeds Rafael Nadal and Federer for glory in Melbourne this time round. Troicki, the 29th seed, racked up 17 unforced errors and called for the trainer at the third changeover before deciding after eight games he was unable to continue. Djokovic will next play Nicolas Almagro after the 14th-seeded Spaniard saw off Ivan Ljubicic 6-4 7-6 (10-8) 6-3. Sixth seed Berdych was another to enjoy a fairly smooth passage into the fourth round, beating Richard Gasquet of France 6-2 7-6 (7-3) 6-2. Life was less straightforward for eighth seed Roddick, who had to fight back back from a set down to defeat unseeded Dutchman Robin Haase. The American looked flustered early on but put his game together to see off his 62nd-ranked opponent 2-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 6-2. | I was given advice from my coach Larry Stefanki to play more aggressively and position myself better on court and it paid off |
Haase got off to a wretched start when he rolled his right ankle in the second game and needed a medical timeout to strap it up and continue on in pain. But the 6ft 3ins right-hander had Roddick under pressure throughout the opening set and won it with two service breaks, the American failing to earn a single break point. Roddick turned the match around in the second-set tie-break, and then hit the front with two breaks in the third set as Haase battled on. It was plain sailing for Roddick from there on and he broke a tiring Haase twice in the final set to triumph, finishing with 32 aces and had a first serve percentage of 68%. "I was given advice from my coach Larry Stefanki to play more aggressively and position myself better on court and it paid off," he said. In a match featuring two unseeded players, Spaniard Robredo defeated his Ukrainian opponent 5-7 6-2 6-4 6-2. And in the late singles match in the Hisense Arena, Verdasco, seeded nine, cruised to a 6-2 6-4 6-3 victory over Japan's Kei Nishikori.
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