Swiss world number one Roger Federer outlasted France’s Arnaud Clement in the second round of a $6,9-million ATP and WTA hardcourt event on Saturday but Kim Clijsters and Lleyton Hewitt were ousted.
Federer dropped the final seven points in a second-set tie-breaker but won 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-0 in a minute shy of two hours to reach a third-round match against German Tommy Haas, who beat Peru’s Luis Horna 6-0, 6-3.
”It looked like the match could have been over very quickly but he hung in there and played well,” Federer said. ”The beginning of the third set it was a really open match. I was hoping for a good start. I’m really happy I got it.”
Belgian second seed Kim Clijsters suffered the most shocking defeat, being ousted by American Jill Craybas 7-5, 3-6, 7-5.
Clijsters matched the early exit of third-seeded Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne, who lost to American Meghann Shaughnessy 7-5, 6-4.
”I wasn’t consistent out there,” Clijsters said. ”I had a lot of troubles finishing off the points. She’s a great mover.
”She’s like a counter-puncher. When you’re not playing your best tennis, it’s very tough to get through there.”
Federer said the surprise ousters of Henin, Clijsters and Spain’s Rafael nadal on Friday made him wary as he walked on the court and faced a fight with Clement.
”It’s good to see upsets sometimes as long as it doesn’t hit you,” Federer said.
Britain’s Tim Henman snapped an 0-for-8 losing streak to Australian Hewitt.
Henman, ranked 56th, beat 13th seed Hewitt 7-6 (7/5), 6-3, after losing every match since their first at the 2000 Scottsdale final.
”To get the result is a huge boost,” Henman said. ”It was a good one to finally win.”
Henman, whose best showing at this event was a 1998 semifinal run, followed a first-round victory over Russia’s Marat Safin with a breakthrough victory in one hour and 43 minutes.
Henman (31) breezed through the final set in just 35 minutes to book a third-round date with German qualifier Simon Greul, who eliminated Slovakian Dominik Hrbaty 7-6 (8/6), 6-3.
”I had to be a lot more patient, more selective, when I came forward,” said Henman. ”It was good a I felt comfortable with a different style. The eight previous times I’ve seen that fire because I’ve been at the net giving him a target.”
Hewitt had reached the finals in San Jose and Las Vegas before ending his early US campaign in defeat.
”It’s disappointing because in practice I feel like I’ve been hitting the ball great over the last week or so,” Hewitt said. ”I put in the hard yards and was hitting the ball really well in practice.
”I was actually really happy with where my game was at. That’s probably the most disappointing aspect.”
Fourth seed Andy Roddick eliminated Spain’s Alberto Martin 6-3, 6-1 while Britain’s Greg Rusedski was ousted 6-4, 6-4 by Argentina’s Juan Ignacio Chela and Aussie Mark Philippoussis lost to Finn Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).
US ninth seed James Blake, who lost to Federer in last week’s Indian Wells final, eliminated Argentina’s Carlos Berlocq 6-0, 6-0 in 47 minutes. Belocq had beaten US teen Donald Young by the same score three days earlier.
China’s Zheng Jie advanced, rallying to defeat France’s Nathalie Dechy 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-1, but compatriot Na Li lost to Russian fourth seed Maria Sharapova 6-2, 6-4. – Sapa-AFP