Roger Federer flirted with Grand Slam disaster before pulling off a desperate five-set Australian Open victory Saturday, but there were no such dramas for young Serb hotshot Novak Djokovic. While the 12-time Grand Slam champion had to pull out all stops to beat Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, Djokovic cruised into the last 16.
There were also wins for seeds James Blake and Tomas Berdych while young Croatian Marin Cilic put paid to last year's finalist Fernando Gonzalez. Federer's record of 10 consecutive Grand Slam finals looked under severe threat when he was drawn into a fifth set dogfight with 49th-ranked Tipsarevic, before claiming a 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/1), 5-7, 6-1, 10-8 victory in four hours 27 minutes. It was the Swiss top seed's 17th consecutive winning match at the Australian Open and set him up with a fourth round tie against 13th Czech seed Berdych on Sunday. "I missed my opportunities and just I couldn't play the way I normally play on the big points," Federer said.
Federer is chasing his fourth Australian title and reached the fourth round at the season-opening major for the seventh successive year. Djokovic had few problems putting away 62nd-ranked American Sam Querrey 6-3, 6-1, 6-3 to set up a showdown with either Hewitt or Baghdatis.
Elsewhere, Cilic bundled Gonzalez out of the tournament, 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-1 and Blake produced his greatest comeback to overhaul Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean, 4-6, 2-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 in three hours eight minutes.
Berdych took out Argentine 21st seed Juan Monaco 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2. Australia's Lleyton Hewitt recovered in his match from a set down to charge into the fourth round of the Australian Open with a 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3 win over Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis early Sunday.
MEN'S SINGLES: James Blake (USA x12) bt Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) 4-6, 2-6, 6-0, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 Marin Cilic (CRO) bt Fernando Gonzalez (CHI x7) 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-1; Novak Djokovic (SRB x3) bt Sam Querrey (USA) 6-3, 6-1, 6-4; Roger Federer (SUI x1) bt Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/1), 5-7, 6-1, 10-8; Tomas Berdych (CZE x13) bt Juan Monaco (ARG x21) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2; Lleyton Hewitt (AUS x19) bt Marcos Baghdatis (CYP x15) 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3
WOMEN'S SINGLES: Agnieszka Radwanska (POL x29) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x2) 6-3, 6-4; Maria Kirilenko (RUS x27) bt Anna Chakvetadze (RUS x6) 6-7 (6/8), 6-1, 6-2; Ana Ivanovic (SRB x4) bt Katarina Srebotnik (SLO x28) 6-3, 6-4; Venus Williams (USA x8) bt Sania Mirza (IND x31) 7-6 (7/0), 6-4.