Flushing Meadows, NY (Sports Network) - Five-time defending champion Roger Federer cruised in his first-round match Monday at the 2009 U.S. Open, the final Grand Slam event of the year.
The Swiss star easily discarded Devin Britton, 6-1, 6-3, 7-5, in 1 hour, 28 minutes at Arthur Ashe Stadium. The world No. 1 Federer took advantage of Britton's 40 unforced errors to make quick work of the American.
Federer beat Andy Murray in last year's final to capture his Open Era-record fifth straight title at Flushing Meadows. The amazing Federer is seeking his 16th major title to extend his own record. He has already won the French Open and Wimbledon this season.
Monday's win was Federer's 35th straight at the U.S. Open (46-4 overall), with his last loss coming at the hands of David Nalbandian in the fourth round in 2003.
"Playing a guy who's got absolutely nothing to lose obviously...I'm here as a five time defending champion, so it makes it a bit tricky," said Federer. "He did play I think really well. He had some very good spells, and I had to make sure from my side that I stayed with him and came back, because I was down a break in the second and in the third. So it was good to still get through in three sets."
Federer, who became the first player in history to surpass $50 million in career prize money with his first-round win, will take on German Simon Greul in the second round. Greul outlasted Giovanni Lapentti of Ecuador, 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (11-9), to earn a match with Federer.
In a match that ended at 12:45 a.m., fifth-seeded American Andy Roddick blasted Germany's Bjorn Phau, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. Roddick, who lost to Federer at the epic Wimbledon final this year and won the U.S. Open in 2003 before finishing as the runner-up in 2006, fired 13 aces and needed just over 1 1/2 hours to advance.
"The later the better," said Roddick. "These are hard core fans."
American James Blake, the 21st seed, defeated Spaniard Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, 6-1, 6-4, 7-5.
Other seeded winners Monday included Nikolay Davydenko, Robin Soderling, Tommy Robredo, Radek Stepanek, Tommy Haas, James Blake, Philipp Kohlschreiber and Lleyton Hewitt.
The eighth-seeded Davydenko of Russia handled German Dieter Kindlmann, 6-3, 6-4, 7-5; 12th-seeded Swede Soderling downed Spaniard Albert Montanes, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; 14th-seeded Robredo of Spain dismissed American Donald Young, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; 15th-seeded Czech Stepanek downed Italian Simone Bolelli, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4; 20th-seeded Haas of Germany posted a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2 victory over Alejandro Falla of Colombia; 23rd-seeded German Kohlschreiber beat Italian Andreas Seppi, 6-0, 6-4, 6-4; and 31st-seeded Hewitt of Australia thumped Brazilian Thiago Alves, 6-0, 6-3, 6-4.
In a pair of mild upsets, Mikhail Youzhny of Russia took down 26th-seeded Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu, 2-6, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2, and hard-serving American John Isner outlasted 28th-seeded Victor Hanescu of Romania, 6-1, 7-6 (16-14), 7-6 (7-5), in 2 hours, 27 minutes.
Marco Chiudinelli of Switzerland posted the first win of the day on the men's side when he beat Italian Potito Starace, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2), 6-0.
Other wins came from Spaniards Marcel Granollers and Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, Czech Jan Hernych, Belgian Olivier Rochus, Somdev Devvarman of India, Marsel Ilhan of Turkey, and American Robert Kendrick.
The first round continues on Tuesday with matches for second-seeded Scotsman Murray, fourth-seeded Serbian Novak Djokovic and seventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France. Murray faces Ernests Gulbis of Latvia. Djokovic, the runner- up in 2007 and a semifinalist last year, takes on Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic. Tsonga tangles with 18-year-old American Chase Buchanan.
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