MELBOURNE - Roger Federer got a free ride at the Australian Open on Friday when his opponent retired hurt while rival Marat Safin survived an injury scare of his own to lead a procession of Russians into the fourth round.
Federer, already one of the hottest favourites in tennis history
to win the tournament, strolled into the last 16 when Jarkko Nieminen of Finland quit their match after less than an hour.
Nieminen strained a stomach muscle midway through the first set and although he played on, the pain became too unbearable so he stopped with Federer leading 6-3 5-2.
"There are just things sometimes you cannot control," a philosophical Federer said.
Safin, runner-up to Federer in last year's final, overcame an ankle injury to beat Mario Ancic of Croatia 6-4 3-6 6-3 6-4 as the Russians stormed the first grand slam of the year.
All five Russian women, including Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova and US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, who played on Friday made it safely through to the next round.
Another four, including French Open champion Anastasia Myskina, play their third round matches on Saturday, raising Russia's chances of winning the one remaining grand slam to have eluded their women.
Former champions Andre Agassi and Serena Williams also made it through safely on Friday. Agassi, a four times winner, beat his fellow American Taylor Dent 7-5 7-6 6-1 while Williams, champion two years ago, ended the run of Indian wildcard Sania Mirza 6-1 6-4.
"I told her to keep up the good work because it was good to see someone from India for the first time do so well," Williams said.
Cyprus was also celebrating their best performance at a grand slam when qualifier Marcos Baghdatis beat Tommy Robredo of Spain 7-6 6-4 6-1 to meet Federer in the next round.
Robredo was one of seven seeds beaten on Friday but the biggest casualty was Argentina's French Open champion Gaston Gaudio who fell to Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia 7-6 6-7 6-7 6-1 6-3 in just one of a handful of marathon matches.
Thomas Johansson, Australian Open champion three years ago, won his third five-setter this week with a 3-6 6-2 6-7 6-2 6-2 win over American Kevin Kim while his fellow Swede and namesake Joachim Johansson wore down Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 6-3 3-6 5-7 7-6 13-11 in an epic encounter over four hours.
Safin made the final last year after surviving a series of gruelling matches but was too exhausted to mount any real challenge so is trying to conserve his energy this time.
"This week has been a little bit easier. I'm playing a little bit smarter and I'm just trying to save my time on the court.
"It's a long tournament and there is no need to waste the energy on something that you don't have to."
Russia's women certainly didn't waste too much energy as all five in action on Friday won their matches in straight sets.
Sharapova crushed Chinese hope Li Na 6-0 6-2 while Kuznetsova, who is threatening to sue a Belgian politician who wrongly accused her of being a drug cheat, shrugged off the distraction to beat Argentine Mariana Diaz-Oliva 6-3 7-6.
Nadia Petrova, the 11th seed, defeated Bulgarian Magdalena Maleeva 6-4 6-4, Evgenia Linetskaya upset Amy Frazier of the US 6-3 6-4 and Vera Douchevina eased past Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany 7-5 6-4.
The stunning progress of the Russian women overshadowed French second seed Amelie Mauresmo's impressive 6-2 7-5 win over rising Serb teenager Ana Ivanovic.
Mauresmo, a finalist in Melbourne in 1999, had missed a warm-up event because of a stomach muscle injury and still has her leg heavily bandaged but she came through the match with flying colours.
- REUTERS
MELBOURNE - Roger Federer got a free ride at the Australian Open on Friday when his opponent retired hurt while rival Marat Safin survived an injury scare of his own to lead a procession of Russians into the fourth round.
Federer, already one of the hottest favourites in tennis history
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