2 Sep 2012

Fed Express rolls on as Murray struggles through

11:51 am on 2 September 2012

Roger Federer has eased into the fourth round of the US tennis Open with a straight sets, 6-3 6-4 6-4 win over Spain's Fernando Verdasco.

It's Federer's fifth win in five matches against Verdasco.

The Swiss great is bidding to become the first man to win six New York titles in the Open era. Federer has not dropped a set so far at Flushing Meadows this tournament.

Olympic champion Andy Murray also went through over another Spaniard, Feliciano Lopez, but it was an error-riddled performance from the Scot, who needed three tiebreaks in his four-set win, 7-6 7-6 4-6 7-6.

Murray now faces Canada's Milos Raonic, who eliminated American veteran James Blake in straight sets.

Federer next plays either the American number one Mardy Fish or France's Gilles Simon.

The 11th-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro reached his furthest position so far in New York, beating US wildcard Jack Sock 7-6 6-7 7-6 6-1 to also make the fourth round.

The American Serena Williams reached the last 16 in the women's draw, with a 6-4 6-0 demolition of Russia's Ekaterina Makarova.

The Polish second seed Agnieszka Radwanska also advanced with a 6-3 7-5 win over Serbia's Jelena Jankovic.