Sun Aug 31 15:37:20 2008

Comment | Email | Print

Federer, Davydenko reach fourth round in Flushing

---

Flushing Meadows, NY (Sports Network) - Reigning four-time champion Roger Federer eased into the fourth round of the 2008 U.S. Open on Sunday, defeating Radek Stepanek in straight sets.

The second-seeded Swiss won the match 6-3, 6-3, 6-2, extending his tournament winning streak to 30 straight victories. Federer, a 12-time grand slam champion, hasn't lost here since the fourth round back in 2003.

Federer had been ranked No. 1 in the world since February 2004 before being supplanted at the top by reigning Wimbledon, four-time French Open and Olympic titlist Rafael Nadal on August 18.

Meanwhile fifth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko was a third-round winner in straight sets Sunday.

The Russian star defeated his fellow countryman and 26th-seeded Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Davydenko, seeking a third straight trip into the U.S. Open semifinals, advances to the fourth round.

In other matches, unseeded Gilles Muller of Luxembourg upset 18th-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (8-6), 7-5.