• US Open, Day Six

Federer digs in for win over Cilic

Roger Federer powers down a serve © Getty Images

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Roger Federer was given a real scare before booking his place in the fourth round of the US Open with a 6-3 4-6 6-4 6-2 win over Marin Cilic.

Federer was hugely impressive in his opening two matches and started his contest with Cilic in a similar vein. His quality dipped in the second as Cilic drew level and the third-round clash was well poised throughout the third, until Cilic surrendered his serve after being given a warning by the umpire for taking too long. From that moment the Croat wilted and Federer seized control to close out the match.

Federed started with a love hold, but Cilic did not appear rattled as he worked three break points in the Swiss' following service game. Federer staved off the threat with some glorious play and he broke the Cilic serve in the following game with a booming forehand down the line.

Cilic had no answer as Federer raced through the opening set, but he continued to plug away. He shrugged off passing up a break point when netting a simple smash in the fourth game, as he broke to take a 4-2 lead and closed out the set in style.

Cilic saved a break point in the opening game of the third set but two poor errors in as many points handed the break to Federer. Consistency has been a problem for Federer this season and he handed an immediate break back.

The set was well poised at 4-4 when Federer crashed a couple of huge shots from the baseline to work a break point. Cilic composed himself at the back of the court but had taken too long in the opinion of umpire Pascal Maria who gave him a time warning. Cilic did not challenge the umpire but it clearly rattled him as he served a double fault to lose serve and at that point the set went.

Cilic went off court at the end of the third and he returned like a man whose spirit had been dragged out of him as he lost his serve at the start of the set.

Unlike in the previous couple of sets, Federer did not allow his opponent back into the match. He snuffed out a break point in the sixth game with a booming serve and broke again to put a seal on the win.

Up next for Federer is Juan Monaco who sucked the energy out of veteran German Tommy Haas in a 6-7(3) 6-3 6-2 6-3 victory.

Tomas Berdych became the latest player to withdraw from the event, with the No. 9 seed a set and 5-0 love down to Janko Tipsarevic when he offered his hand. The Czech, so impressive in beating Fabio Fognini in the previous round, looked hampered by an arm injury and he was a spent force long before calling it quits.

Berdych was followed into the treatment room by Marcel Granollers, with the No. 31 seed offering his hand to fellow Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero when a set and 4-3 down. Granollers had complained of a back problem and his retirement takes the list of casualties in the men's draw to 10. Although he will not be happy to win in such a manner, it will come as a relief to Ferrero who came through a five-set epic against Gael Monfils on Thursday, and will now face Tipsarevic.

Mardy Fish continued his progress into the tournament with a 6-4 7-6(4) 7-6(3) win over Kevin Anderson.

The 11th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga came through a potentially tricky clash against Fernando Verdasco with relative ease, claiming a 6-3 7-5 6-4 win.

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