March 24 (Reuters) – Roger Federer held off local wildcard
Ryan Harrison to set up a third-round clash against twice former
Sony Ericsson Open champion Andy Roddick and Serena Williams
served her way into the fourth round in Miami action on
Saturday.
While men’s number one Novak Djokovic and women’s
second-ranked Maria Sharapova progressed easily, former number
one and twice Miami winner Kim Clijsters was eliminated at the
Premier-level event.
Clijsters fought hard and survived six match points before
falling to fellow Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 6-4 7-6 in their
third round clash.
“It was a special win for me today because she was one of my
idols growing up,” the 22-year-old Wickmayer said.
Australia’s U.S. Open champion Samantha Stosur avoided an
early exit by storming back after falling a set and 4-2 down to
beat South African Chanelle Scheepers 2-6 7-5 6-2.
Federer, who has won 40 of 42 matches and six tournament
titles since the 2011 U.S. Open semi-finals, led his 19-year-old
opponent 5-2 in the second set before Harrison extended him to a
tiebreaker taken 7-3 by the Swiss for a hard-earned 6-2 7-6 win.
“I felt like I had to win the match like three times at the
end, so I was relieved to come through,” Federer told reporters
after his second round tie.
“Beating an American in America is always a big deal,
because this is where they usually play their very best.”
Federer must next hurdle another homegrown foe in Roddick
and although the Swiss world number three has mastered the
American former world number one in 21 out of 23 matches, he
does not expect it to be easy going.
Continued…
