Federer, Berdych, del Potro advance in Rotterdam
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Swiss icon Roger Federer, former up Tomas Berdych and former U.S. Open champion Juan Martin round winners Wednesday at the $1.6 million ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament.
The top-seeded former world No. 1 Federer posted a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Frenchman Nicolas Mahut at this indoor-hardcourt event. The match was over in 67 minutes, as Federer tallied two service breaks and held his serve throughout on Day 3.
The 16-time major champion Federer was the Rotterdam titlist the last time he played here back in 2005.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Federer is fresh off last week's bitter disappointment in his native Switzerland, where he lost his singles match and doubles match in a 5-0 opening-round Davis Cup defeat at the hands of a heavy-underdog United States team.
The 30-year-old Federer will encounter Russian Mikhail Youzhny on Thursday. The capable Youzhny was the Rotterdam champion in 2007 and runner-up in 2010.
Meanwhile, a second-seeded Berdych blew past Czech Lukas Rosol 6-4, 6-2, while a third-seeded del Potro held off French left-hander Michael Llodra 6-4, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4 at Ahoy Rotterdam. Llodra was the Rotterdam champ in 2008.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Up next for Berdych, who titled in France two weeks ago, will be Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, while del Potro will battle Slovakian Karol Beck.
Former top-five Russian star Nikolay Davydenko reached the quarterfinals by holding off French qualifier Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-7 (7-9), 6-1, while Finnish veteran Jarkko Nieminen landed in the round of eight with a 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (7-2) second-round victory over Poland's Lukasz Kubot.
Additional opening-round wins came for Baghdatis, Russian Alex Bogomolov Jr. and the qualifier Beck. The former Australian Open runner-up Baghdatis got past German Matthias Bachinger 7-6 (7-2), 6-2.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The 2012 Rotterdam winner will collect $385,000.