Marathon Victories By Federer, Hewitt Cap Long, Dramatic Day

Jan 20, 08:34 AM

By John Pye

The Associated Press

MELBOURNE, Australia

The drama started with a rare five-set match for Roger Federer. Then Lleyton Hewitt carried on almost to dawn.

Day 6 at the Australian Open was a long, long journey. About one- third of the 15,000 people with tickets for Saturday's night session didn't leave until Hewitt smacked a forehand past Marcos Baghdatis at 4:33 a.m. Sunday.

Federer needed 4 hours, 27 minutes to beat No. 49-ranked Janko Tipsarevic 6-7 (5), 7-6 (1), 5-7, 6-1, 10-8 in an extended afternoon match that pushed back the night session at least two hours.

Federer had won 30 straight sets at Melbourne Park since dropping the first in the 2006 final against Baghdatis. He had lost only six games in his first two matches this year.

"It's not such a relief - it's more happiness," Federer told the crowd at the Rod Laver Arena, where he has won three Australian titles, including the past two. "I'm happy I could deliver a five- set thriller. It was good to be part of something like this."

Wedged between epic five-setters, Venus Williams finished off Sania Mirza in straight sets after declining an invitation to either postpone that match or move to Vodafone Arena, the other stadium with a roof at Melbourne Park.

So when Hewitt tossed the ball up for his first serve, it was 11:47 p.m. - the latest start for a singles match at the Australian Open. He broke Baghdatis on his fifth match point 4:45 later to win 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-3.

"Obviously, an incredible day of tennis," Hewitt said, sounding hoarse and tired. "I mean, for Roger Federer to go five sets - how often does that happen?"

Hewitt joked that his 2-year-old daughter, Mia, would be awake and ready to play when he got back to his apartment.

Hewitt next plays No. 3 Novak Djokovic, who ousted Sam Querrey 6- 3, 6-1, 6-3 to leave James Blake as the best U.S. hope at the Open.

Blake rallied from two sets down and then a double-break in the fourth to beat veteran Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean 4-6, 2-6, 6-0, 7- 6 (5), 6-2.

"That's got to be my biggest comeback," Blake said, referring to his second victory after nine straight losses in five-set matches.

Next up is 6-foot-5 Marin Cilic, a 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1 winner over last year's losing finalist, Fernando Gonzalez.

Two of the Russia's top women lost Saturday. No. 2 Svetlana Kuznetsova fell 6-3, 6-4 to 18-year-old Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and No. 6 Anna Chakvetadze lost 6-7 (6), 6-1, 6-2 to No. 27 Maria Kirilenko.

No. 4 Ana Ivanovic advanced with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over No. 28 Katarina Srebotnik and No. 8 Venus Williams recovered from an early break to beat Mirza of India 7-6 (0), 6-4.

David Nalbandian and Juan Carlos Ferrero stepped back on the same court to begin the Sunday schedule just more than 6 hours after Hewitt and Baghdatis walked off.

Former No. 1 Ferrero beat 10th-seeded Nalbandian 6-1, 6-2, 6-3 in a third-round match postponed by rain Saturday. In another third- rounder, No. 5 David Ferrer beat American Vincent Spadea 6-3, 6-3, 6- 2. Ferrero will play Ferrer in the fourth round.

In other fourth-round matches Sunday, No. 2 Nadal faced Paul- Henri Mathieu, Frenchmen Richard Gasquet and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga went head-to-head, and Philipp Kohlschreiber, who upset Andy Roddick in the third round, played Finland's Jarkko Nieminen. No. 4 Nikolay Davydenko and No. 14 Mikhail Youzhny met in a match between Russians.

(c) 2008 Virginian - Pilot. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved. Marathon Victories By Federer, Hewitt Cap Long, Dramatic Day
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