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Thursday June 26, 2008

Top seed Ivanovic makes miracle escape, Federer marches on

NOVAK Djokovic was upset in straight sets by Marat Safin in the second round yesterday, ending the Serb's chances of testing his theory about Roger Federer's vulnerability.

The 75th-ranked Safin won 6-4, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 on Centre Court. It was a stunning loss for the third-ranked Djokovic, who came to the All England Club confident after beating top-ranked Federer in the semi-finals at this year's Australian Open en route to his first Grand Slam tournament title.

Top seed Federer reached the third round yesterday with a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) win over Sweden's Robin Soderling.

The five-time champion will face either France's Marc Gicquel or Serbian lucky loser Ilia Bozoljac for a place in the last 16.

Top-ranked Ana Ivanovic, another Serb, also struggled, but won. The French Open champion saved two match points – including one that bounced off the net chord for a winner – in the second set before overcoming 29-year-old Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy 6-7 (7-2), 7-6 (7-3), 10-8.

Two-time champion Serena Williams had way less trouble advancing 6-4, 6-4 over Urszula Radwanska on Court 2, the so-called “graveyard of champions'' for its history of upsets.

Djokovic came up against one of the toughest second-round opponents he could have drawn.

Former No. 1 Safin has won two Grand Slam titles. One came when he upset Federer in an Australian Open semi-final en route to the 2005 title. Safin beat Djokovic in the first round of that tournament – their only previous meeting.

“It was certainly a very bad day for me,'' the 21-year-old Djokovic said. “I didn't do anything that I was supposed to – he was very solid in all segments.''

Djokovic had said Federer, bidding for his sixth consecutive Wimbledon crown, was vulnerable after his recent lopsided French Open loss to No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal.

The hype surrounding those comments set up an enticing semi-final here. Now, it will be Safin who tries to go down that path.

Safin said he came in under the radar, with Djokovic under all the pressure.

“Djokovic didn't impress me with his game today. I could read his serve. I could return. I could stay with him from the baseline, and that's it.

“He's the one who has to win matches. For me, nobody expects anything,'' added the 28-year-old Russian, admitting he had not dared look beyond the second round.

“The guy won the Australian Open, semi-finals of French Open, winning the tournaments left and right. You play against him, and the last time I won two matches in a row was I don't remember when. So what do you expect?”

Ivanovic was erratic against a resilient Dechy, who saved two match points on her own serve in the 12th game of the third set.

“It was an amazing match ... one of my longest ever,'' said Ivanovic, who dropped her service five times but had twice as many winners (72) as unforced errors (36). “In the second set I saved some match points and from that point on I just thought it's my second chance.''

She said her heart skipped a beat when she won match point.

“Once it went in I just couldn't believe it,'' she said. “I'm just so, so thrilled.'' – AP

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