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Day-five triumphs for three-time champion Roger Federer, titleholder Novak Djokovic and fellow big guns Andy Roddick and Juan Martin Del Potro have set the scene for the most competitive Australian Open in history.
Only once before in the 40-year Open era have 14 of the men’s top 16 seeds qualified for the third round at Melbourne Park – but never the entire top eight in a 128-player draw as they have this week.
The second week of the season-opening slam looms as a mighty battle between a who’s who of tennis, including – potentially – the leading eight contenders for the very first time.
Federer finds himself in the last 16 for the 19th consecutive major after avenging his 2005 semi-final loss to Marat Safin with a 6-3 6-2 7-6 (7-5) success over the Russian on Friday night.
It may well have been the last time Australian fans see Safin, who has said he is likely to retire at season’s end.
The world No.2 will meet Tomas Berdych next after the powerhouse Czech advanced with a 4-6 6-1 6-3 6-4 defeat of Swiss 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka.
In a match which sparked ethnic crowd trouble at Rod Laver Arena, Djokovic kept his title defence alive with a hard-fought 6-2 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-4) win over Bosnian-born American Amer Delic.
“I need some matches like this to feel really what a grand slam is all about, you know,” the third-seeded Serb said.
“It’s about those long four, five-set matches in the heat like this.”
Open officials were not so happy afterwards, though, when Serbian and Bosnian fans engaged in what Victorian police described as a “chair-throwing competition”.
Thirty spectators had to be ejected and two charged with riotous behaviour and discharging a missile.
Roddick could well have been charged with similar offences after firing down 22 aces in just 14 service games to send French veteran Fabrice Santoro packing from his 17th and last Open with an emphatic 6-4 6-4 6-2 third-round win.
The-in-form Del Potro moved on with a 6-7 (5-7) 7-5 6-3 7-5 win over Gilles Muller – the Luxembourg leftie who crashed Bernard Tomic’s Open party the previous round – to confirm his status as the tournament dark horse.
“Yes, I’m playing good since last year. But I need to play better if I want to beat Nadal, Federer, Murray or Djokovic,” the Argentine said.
“I’m not going to beat them if I’m still missing break points or missing volleys or whatever.”
The eighth-seeded Del Potro next faces rising Croatian Marin Cilic, who ousted Spanish 11th seed David Ferrer 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 6-4 in one of the few first-week upsets.
Czech Tomas Berdych later on Friday night advanced to the fourth round for the third year in a row with a 4-6 6-1 6-3 6-4 defeat of Swiss 15th seed Stanislas Wawrinka.
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