MADRID // Roger Federer advanced to the third round of the Madrid Masters with a 6-3, 7-6 win over the Czech Radek Stepanek on his return from a three-week break late on Wednesday night. The world No 2 was due to play the Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga yesterday. Initially Federer appeared to have things easy, romping to a 3-0 lead as Stepanek's serve fell apart. But the world No 30 stepped up in the second set - winning all but one of the points on his first serve - and seized the advantage in the deciding set with a sensational drop shot, before pumping his first wildly in celebration.
Two points later he had even greater impetus as he took a 5-3 lead but could not hold on as Federer applied the pressure to take the tie-break 8-6. Gilles Simon of France saved two match points before beating Robby Ginepri of the US 6-7, 6-4, 7-6 to reach the quarter-finals. Ginepri had eliminated Nikolay Davydenko. The top seed Rafael Nadal was to meet Richard Gasquet of France while the defending champion David Nalbandian was due to take on Juan Martin Del Porto in all-Argentine match. Other games were: Novak Djokovic v Ivo Karlovic; Andy Murray v Marin Cilic; Andy Roddick v Gael Monfils; and Stanislas Wawrinka v Feliciano Lopez.
* Agencies
