By Bill Scott –
LONDON — Roger Federer moved through in cruise control to the third round of Wimbledon on Wednesday as the Swiss third seed demolished Italy’s Fabio Fognini, 6-1, 6-3, 6-2.
Comprehensive defeat was no joke for the 68th-ranked Fognini, whose gesticulations at every missed point and error turned him into a particularly vivid operatic character.
Federer was pleased with the form he has shown so far in the early stages. After his first-round win took him to the most number of grass matches ever won, he improved upon that mark.
“It’s hard to get into the match when you’re down, I was serving well,” he said.
“You’re not going to get many chances throughout a set maybe against me when I’m serving well like that and able to vary with my serve. It’s frustrating and you’re trying, but even as hard as you try, sometimes you don’t really get into it, right? That’s grass court tennis.”
Federer fired 13 aces and lost just two points on serve as he ran out the winner.
“I’m very pleased. It wasn’t that easy a match. I played a great first round and now a great second round. I’m serving well, moving well and all of a sudden you can be winning quite comfortably,” said Federer.
The 30-year-old has the chance to tie Pete Sampras on seven Wimbledon titles and also seize back the ATP number one ranking if he can claim the title a week from Sunday.
With a dozen or more matches unfinished after rain and darkness on Tuesday night, the program on day three was full, and hardly needed another weather interruption in mid-afternoon, which sent matches off-court for several hours until early evening.
Eighth seed Janko Tipsarevic defeated American Ryan Sweeting, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4, 6-2, while Argentine 15th seed Juan Monaco beat Jeremy Chardy, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).
Watching on his first visit to the club since 1970 was Britain’s Prince Charles and his wife, who later chatted with Federer, his wife and parents.
The royals got a treat as teenager Heather Watson became the first British woman to reach the third round since Eelna Baltacha a decade ago with a defeat of American Jamie Lee Hampton, 6-4, 6-1.
Arantxa Rus of the Netherlands, who defeated Kim Clijsters at the French Open, knocked out another Grand Slam winner with her upset of Australian fifth seed Samantha Stosur, 6-2, 0-6, 6-4.
In first round catch-up contests, former number one Caroline Wozniacki, now seventh, fell to Eastbourne winner Tamira Paszek of Austria, 5-7, 7-6 (7-4), 6-4. It was the first time since her first major in Paris five years ago that Wozniacki had lost this early at a Slam.
“It’s not a nice feeling,I had two match points and I didn’t take them. It wasn’t because I played badly. You know, she just went for it, and that’s it,” said Wozniacki.
“You go through periods where it’s just not going your way. You just need to get through this. Hopefully sooner than later it will start turning my way.”
French Open finalist Sara Errani, the Italian tenth seed, advanced over Coco Vandeweghe, 6-1, 6-3. Former number one and 14th seed Ana Ivanovic struggled with her serve at the midway point but scratched out a victory over Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
In men’s play, Spanish seventh seed David Ferrer finished off German Dustin Brown, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-4, after the overnight break, as did Canadian Milos Raonic, who beat Santiago Giraldo, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4, winning the remaining final game in eight seconds.
Three-time finalist Andy Roddick ended with an ace to close out the first round with a defeat of Brit Jamie Baker, 7-6 (7-1), 6-4, 7-5.
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