Federer gets through a choppy ride

Roger Federer survives a bumpy ride to beat the clay-court specialist Jose Acasuso and reach the third round of the French Open.

Powered by automated translation

PARIS // Roger Federer survived a bumpy ride to beat clay-court specialist Jose Acasuso of Argentina 7-6, 5-7, 7-6, 6-2 to reach the third round of the French Open today. The Swiss world No 2 was 5-1 down in the third set, saving a set point at 5-2 on his way to winning five games in a row to force a tiebreaker which he snatched with a sizzling serve that his 45th-ranked opponent could not control.

Federer had not made it easy for himself in a protracted first set, eventually taking it to a tiebreaker where he saved four set points before pulling back to snatch the set for himself with a tidy drop shot on his second set point. Acasuso gave the Swiss a few lessons in how to play on his least favourite surface in the second but after seeing his chance of an upset evaporate in the third, he went out with a whimper in the fourth when he messed up a service return.

*Reuters