20 August,2009 08:39 AM IST | | AFP
World No 1 Roger Federer and second-ranked Andy Murray advanced to the third round of the ATP Cincinnati Masters hardcourt tournament with straight-set triumphs last night.
Federer moved on by defeating Argentina's Jose Acasuso 6-3, 7-5, while British defending champion Murray defeated Spain's Nicolas Almagro 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 in a match interrupted for 20 minutes by rain.
Scotland's Murray, in his first match since claiming the No 2 ranking, saved a set point in the 12th game of the opening set and booked a second round date against Czech 16th seed Radek Stepanek.
Swiss star Federer, who won his record 15th Grand Slam title at Wimbledon last month but was ousted in the quarter-finals last week at Montreal, will next face Spain's 19th-ranked David Ferrer in the US Open tune-up.
"The transition to Cincy is always a difficult one," Federer said. "I've had very up and down results here. Not very bad, but maybe just not to the standard I would like it sometimes."
