21 January,2009 06:03 PM IST | | AFP
A dominant Roger Federer set up a Australian Open third-round clash with Marat Safin on Wednesday as top seed Jelena Jankovic and defending champion Novak Djokovic showed glimpses of their best form.
The tennis big guns were joined in the next round by Serb glamour girl Ana Ivanovic and Russian third seed Dinara Safina. Swiss great Federer, who is seeking a record-equalling 14th Grand Slam title here, let loose with some instinctive shot-making as he beat Russian qualifier Evgeny Korolev 6-2 6-3 6-1.
"I'm happy the way it went. He was also a good opponent to play against and there were a lot of good shots," Federer said, before looking ahead to the Safin clash.
"We go way back. Him, of course, being a former number one, same for me, former Grand Slam champion, it's an intriguing match-up."
The Swiss has beaten Safin nine times but lost out in a classic semi-final here in 2005, when the Russian claimed the title.
Safin booked his date with destiny by downing Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-5 6-2 6-2. "I'm looking forward to it," he said of the Federer match. We know each other pretty well. He knows how to play against me; I know how to play against him."
The top-seeded Jankovic battled past Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-4 7-5 as she upped the ante in her quest for a maiden Grand Slam.
"It's good to have someone push you so you know what you have to work on when you step back on the practice court," said Jankovic, who will play Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama on Friday.
The tennis big guns were joined in the next round by Serb glamour girl Ana Ivanovic and Russian third seed Dinara Safina. Swiss great Federer, who is seeking a record-equalling 14th Grand Slam title here, let loose with some instinctive shot-making as he beat Russian qualifier Evgeny Korolev 6-2 6-3 6-1.
"I'm happy the way it went. He was also a good opponent to play against and there were a lot of good shots," Federer said, before looking ahead to the Safin clash.
"We go way back. Him, of course, being a former number one, same for me, former Grand Slam champion, it's an intriguing match-up."
The Swiss has beaten Safin nine times but lost out in a classic semi-final here in 2005, when the Russian claimed the title.
Safin booked his date with destiny by downing Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-5 6-2 6-2. "I'm looking forward to it," he said of the Federer match. We know each other pretty well. He knows how to play against me; I know how to play against him."
The top-seeded Jankovic battled past Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-4 7-5 as she upped the ante in her quest for a maiden Grand Slam.
"It's good to have someone push you so you know what you have to work on when you step back on the practice court," said Jankovic, who will play Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama on Friday.
