Sport - Tennis

Federer and Nadal advance

HAMBURG: Top-ranked Roger Federer eased past Jarkko Nieminen 6-1, 6-3 on Wednesday to reach the third round of the Hamburg Masters, a tournament he has won four times.

Second-ranked Rafael Nadal also advanced, but he had to work hard to overcome Potito Starace 6-4, 7-6(6).

In Rome, top-seeded Ana Ivanovic was upset by Bulgarian qualifier Tsvetana Pironkova 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 on Wednesday in the second round of the Italian Open.

The results: At Hamburg (Hamburg Masters): Second round: Singles: Roger Federer bt Jarkko Nieminen 6-1, 6-3; Rafael Nadal bt Potito Starace 6-4, 7-6(6); Juan Monaco bt Simone Bolelli 6-2, 6-1; Marat Safin bt Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-4; Albert Montanes bt Jose Acasuso 7-6(3), 6-3.

Ivo Karlovic bt Tommy Robredo 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(3); Janko Tipsarevic bt James Blake 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; Nicolas Kiefer bt Stanislas Wawrinka 7-5, 7-5; Robin Soderling bt Jo-Wilifried Tsonga 6-2, 7-5; Carlos Moya bt Olivier Rochus 7-5, 6-3; Andy Murray bt Gilles Simon 6-3, 6-3.

Doubles: Leander Paes & Tommy Robredo bt Jonathan Erlich & Andy Ram 6-3, 4-6, 10-2.

At Rome (Italian Open): Second round: Venus Williams bt Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-1; Tsvetana Pironkova bt Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-2; Vera Zvonareva bt Iveta Benesova 7-5, 4-6, 7-5; Sara Errani bt Agnes Szavay 6-0, 6-3; Agnieszka Radwanska bt Roberta Vinci 3-6, 6-2, 6-2; Caroline Wozniacki bt Ekaterina Makarova 6-3, 6-4; Victoria Azarenka bt Monica Niculescu 6-3, 6-2; Serena Williams bt Alona Bondarenko 6-2, 6-0.

Maria Kirilenko bt Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 5-7, 6-2; Patty Schnyder bt Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-1, 6-0; Marion Bartoli bt Virginie Razzano 6-4, 7-5; Anna Chakvetadze bt Kateryna Bondarenko 3-6, 7-6(1), 6-0. — Agencies

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