Federer sails into Australian Open quarterfinals
Roger Federer improved his six-year winning streak to 15 matches against Lleyton Hewitt with an overpowering 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 victory on Monday.
The top-ranked Swiss star, who was beaten in last year’s final by Rafael Nadal, hasn’t lost to Hewitt since the Australian beat him in a Davis Cup match in late 2003.
Federer has reached the semifinals or better at the Australian Open every year since winning the 2004 title, his first of three.
Federer broke Hewitt’s serve in the ninth game of the third set with a stinging cross-court forehand that left Hewitt standing in the middle of the court.
Federer held service in his next game, setting up match point with an ace and clinching it with a service winner.
The win advanced Federer to a quarterfinal against Nikolay Davydenko, who beat 2009 semifinalist Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 7-5, 4-6, 6-7 (5), 6-3 earlier on Monday to extend his winning streak to 13.
Davydenko beat Federer in the ATP World Tour Finals late last year, and again in a tournament in Doha, Qatar earlier this month.
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