Federer crushes Kohlschreiber
Tennis / The 16-time Grand Slam winner returns to Monte.
MONTE CARLO: Roger Federer marched into the third round of the Monte Carlo Masters on Tuesday as the three-time finalist inflicted a 6-2, 6-1 defeat on German Philipp Kohlschreiber.
World No. 3 Federer, seeded second in the absence of Novak Djokovic, was losing finalist at the Country Club from 2006 to 2008 to Rafael Nadal.
Nadal, aiming for an historic seventh straight trophy, had an early-morning fitness session with women's No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, who had played an exhibition at the club on Monday.
Federer's brief and efficient victory in 50 minutes left him undefeated in 47 straight matches against Germans dating to June 2002, when he lost to Nicolas Kiefer in Halle.
The Federer victory was his 23rd of the season against four losses — three against Djokovic and his last to Nadal in the Miami semifinals.
Against Kohlschreiber he lost just two points in three games as he made a fast start.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion is playing in Monte Carlo for the first time since 2009, when he lost in the third round to countryman Stanislas Wawrinka.
Federer has played the event on nine previous occasions, and now stands 22-9 at the tournament.
In the first round, French 16th seed Gilles Simon defeated Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 6-3, 6-2.
In another match, Spain's Feliciano Lopez overcame Serb Janko Tipsarevic in a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4) fight-back.
The results:
Second round: Milos Raonic bt Ernests Gulbis 6-4, 7-5.
Roger Federer bt Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-2, 6-1; Ivan Ljubicic bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 7-6(2), 6-4.
First round: Per Riba bt Potito Starace 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; Albert Montanes (ESP) bt Xavier Malisse (BEL) 6-4, 6-2.
Gilles Simon bt Thomaz Belluci 6-3, 6-2; Feliciano Lopez bt Janko Tipsarevic 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(4); Guillermo Garcia-Lopez bt Vincent Millot 6-2, 6-4; Maximo Gonzalez bt Victor Hanescu 3-6, 7-5, 6-1; Fabio Fognini (ITA) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. — Agencies.
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