Associated Press
NEW YORK ó Roger Federer looked every bit a champion and stayed perfect at this U.S. Open. Andy Roddick showed shades of winning form, too.
No longer No. 1, Federer beat Radek Stepanek and breezed into the round of 16.
Roddick, the last man to win the Open before Federer, beat No. 31 Andreas Seppi 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (4).
The eighth-seeded Roddick usually relies on his power serve. Down in the tiebreaker, he smartly served from the shadows into the bright sun, launching a wide, 126 mph ace that blinded Seppi.
“This is probably the most intimidating court in the world if you’ve never been on it before,” Roddick said.
Second-seeded Jelena Jankovic won her sort of split decision, beating No. 21 Caroline Wozniacki 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 to reach the quarterfinals.
Jankovic went into her trademark splits early in the third set reaching for a shot. She lost the point and stayed splayed on the court, and fans wondered whether she’d hurt herself.
But Jankovic bounced up and easily bounded around the court, quickly finishing off her 18-year-old Danish opponent.
Fifth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko defeated Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 7-6 (3), 6-3 and No. 23 Igor Andreev beat No. 13 Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-4, 6-4. Gilles Muller, the only qualifier left on the men’s side, rallied past No. 18 Nicolas Almagro.