DOHA, (Reuters) – Roger Federer staked his claim as one of the favourites for the Australian Open title later this month by romping into the second round of the Qatar Open, while rival Rafa Nadal survived a scare in windswept Doha on Tuesday.
Federer, hoping to win a record 17th grand slam in Melbourne later this month, thumped Russian Nikolay Davydenko 6-2 6-2 in less than an hour on a blustery evening.
Top seed Nadal, in contrast, battled back from a break down in the deciding set against Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber to triumph 6-3 6-7 6-3 in two and a half hours. Third seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was also wayward in a 7-6 6-7 6-1 win over Tunisian wildcard Malek Jaziri.
Federer said he was glad to get some night-time match practice.
“It was a combination of me playing really well and Nikolay not finding his range like we’re used to seeing in the past,” Federer told reporters. “This is obviously an important step to get used to the conditions.”
