Djokovic, Federer, Fish move on at U.S. Open

Flushing Meadows, NY – World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and five- round winners Thursday at the U.S. Open.

Djokovic posted a 6-0, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Argentina's Carlos Berlocq. The Serbian won the first 14 games of the match before Berlocq hit a backhand winner to break his serve. Djokovic improved to 59-2 this year, including major titles at Wimbledon and the Australian Open. He's a two-time U.S. Open runner-up, including last year against former No. 1 Rafael Nadal.

The third-seeded and former world No. 1 Federer destroyed helpless Israeli Dudi Sela 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 in a mere 77 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The 2011 French Open runner-up Federer held his serve throughout and struck 21 more winners (31-10) than Sela on Day 4 of the fortnight.

"Not much trouble on my serve, and from the baseline I also thought I had the upper hand," Federer said. "When it's like that, obviously it's tough for the opponent, but I just think I was superior today."

"It was a good match for me in breezy conditions," Federer added.

Federer, who turned 30 last month, was the U.S. Open champion five straight years from 2004-08 and the 2009 runner-up to Argentine slugger Juan Martin del Potro.

The 16-time Grand Slam champ, who is now 58-6 lifetime in Flushing Meadows, is seeking his first major title since capturing last year's Australian Open.

Up next for the Swiss Federer will be tall Croat Marin Cilic.

In the match of the tournament so far, on-the-mend former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero ousted seventh-seeded flashy Frenchman Gael Monfils in a 4- hour, 48-minute marathon at Louis Armstrong Stadium, 7-6 (7-5), 5-7, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4. Ferrero spoiled Monfils' 25th birthday in the process.

Monfils struck 47 more winners than Ferrero (81-34), including 21 aces, but he also piled up 81 unforced errors to hurt his own cause.

The former French Open champion Ferrero was the U.S. Open runner-up in 2003, the same year he captured a French Open title.

Eighth-seeded American Mardy Fish posted a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Tunisian Malek Jaziri.

Ninth-seeded former Wimbledon runner-up Tomas Berdych reached the third round with a 7-5, 6-0, 6-0 dismantling of Italian Fabio Fognini, while 11th-seeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga excused Ukrainian Sergei Bubka 6-3, 7-5, 6-2. The former Aussie Open runner-up Tsonga was a Wimbledon semifinalist in July.

Croat Ivo Karlovic upended 13th-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (7-4).

In other action involving seeds, No. 19 Spaniard Fernando Verdasco advanced to the third round with a 6-4, 6-3, 6-1 thrashing of Turkey's Marsel Ilhan; No. 20 Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia battled past German Philipp Petzschner 6-0, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; No. 22 Alexandr Dolgopolov of Ukraine fought off Italian Flavio Cipolla 6-0, 7-5, 2-6, 5-7, 6-4; and Argentine Juan Monaco upended No. 23 Czech Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-1, 2-0, retired. The veteran Stepanek quit with a shoulder injury.

A No. 27 Cilic crushed promising Aussie Bernard Tomic 6-1, 6-0, 6-2; South African slugger Kevin Anderson drubbed No. 29 Frenchman Michael Llodra 6-1, 6-2, 6-2; and No. 31 Marcel Granollers of Spain bested Kazakhstan's Mikhail Kukushkin 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 on the hardcourts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. The 18-year-old Tomic was a surprise Wimbledon quarterfinalist this summer.

Former world No. 2 Tommy Haas straight-setted Colombian Alejandro Falla 7-6 (7-5), 6-1, 7-5. The oft-injured 33-year-old Haas, who is both a German and American citizen, is a thee-time U.S. Open quarterfinalist.

Russian Nikolay Davydenko dismissed Italian Potito Starace by a 6-2, 6-4, 7-5 decision.