• French Open, Day Four

On-fire Federer flies into third round

Roger Federer displayed a fine exhibition of tennis on Court Suzanne Lenglen on Wednesday as he blew Somdev Devvarman away in straight sets to reach the third round of the French Open.

The Swiss has yet to be tested at Roland Garros so far, and the second seed conveyed all the qualities of a record 17-time grand slam champion as he breezed to a 6-2 6-1 6-1 victory.

Having already registered a comfortable opening-round win over Pablo Carreno Busta on Sunday, Federer picked up from where he left off against Devvarman by winning the first eight points of the match to race into a 2-0 lead - with an early break seized upon thanks to a backhand winner down the line.

Devvarman collected his maiden points of the encounter and began to apply pressure on Federer. The Indian threatened to break back and had two opportunities to do so in the fourth game, but Federer saved them and restored his two-game advantage.

A forehand volley ensured Federer secured a second break, and in the space of 18 minutes the Swiss was 5-1 up and cruising towards the first set. Although Devvarman held serve to reduce the deficit to three, Federer wrapped up the set in 23 minutes.

Devvarman led at the start of the second, but he would not add another game to his tally of one, as Federer at only eight minutes longer than the first set sealed a two-set lead.

And the four-time runner-up to Rafael Nadal at the event put his foot on the gas in the third set by dropping one game as Devvarman could not keep up with the 31-year-old, and with it Federer sealed an easy passage into the third round.

Roger Federer breezed through his encounter on Wednesday © AP

Enlarge

Related Links

• Profile: Roger Federer

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga took time to warm up but he turned on the style in the second and third sets to beat Jarkko Nieminen

The home favourite looked lethargic early on and Nieminen had a set point in the opening stanza, but the Finn failed to convert and Tsonga powered through for a 7-6(6) 6-4 6-3 win.

Gael Monfils meanwhile delighted the French crowd once again after he got the better of Ernests Gulbis 6-7(5) 6-4 7-6(4) 6-2.

The No. 4 seed David Ferrer was impressive in beating Albert Montanes in three sets and he will face another Spaniard in round three as Feliciano Lopez battled back from a set down to beat Joao Sousa.

The No. 10 seed Marin Cilic disposed of Nick Kyrgios in straight sets to set up a third-round clash with Viktor Troicki who beat Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-4 in the fifth set.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.