Melbourne, Australia – Fourth-seeded David Ferrer and fifth- seeded Tomas Berdych were both victorious Wednesday in the second round of the Australian Open.
Ferrer, fresh off his Auckland title, had a hiccup in the third set before disposing of American Tim Smyczek, as the Spaniard earned a 6-0, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory.
Berdych, a former Wimbledon runner-up, needed just two hours in his straight- set match against Frenchman Guillaume Rufin en route to a 6-2, 6-2, 6-4 rout at Rod Laver Arena.
Sam Querrey, the top-seeded American at No. 20, lost the first set to countryman Brian Baker, 6-7 (2-7), but still advanced to the second round after Baker suffered a knee injury in the third game of the second set.
Also advancing via retirement was No. 15 Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland, who was ahead two sets to love on Tobias Kamke before the German succumbed to a shoulder injury.
Other seeded players advancing on Day 3 were: No. 10 Nicolas Almagro, No. 16 Kei Nishikori, No. 28 Marcos Baghdatis and No. 24 Jerzy Janowicz, who outlasted Somdev Devvarman, 6-7 (10-12), 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, 7-5 in a four-hour marathon.
Jurgen Melzer and Roberto Bautista Agut also went the distance, with the 26th- seeded Melzer surviving a 6-7 (4-7), 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, 6-2 victory in a little under four hours.
The first seeded player to go down on Day 3 was No. 23 Mikhail Youzhny, who was ousted by Evgeny Donskoy in a 3-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Top-seeded and two-time defending Aussie champ Novak Djokovic will face American Ryan Harrison Wednesday night.
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