Federer challenges Murray to five-setter 'any day'

MELBOURNE (AFP) - Roger Federer said on Sunday that he would take on super-fit Briton Andy Murray "any day" over five sets after surviving a marathon match in the Australian Open fourth round.

The Swiss insisted he felt fresh as a daisy after his three-and-a-half-hour work-out against Tomas Berdych and could easily go the distance with Murray despite their six-year age gap.

"I don't know how fit Murray is. I'll take him on any day in a five-setter," Federer said.

"He's younger so he's probably not so experienced. In the end it becomes very mental, and I know that this is where my biggest strength always comes into play. That's why I'm always going to favour myself in a fifth set."

Federer, 27, who has lost his last four matches against Murray, has fought a low-key war of words with the Scot since arriving here.

The 13-time Grand Slam champion pointedly questioned Murray's status as bookies' favourite at the start of the tournament, prompting the Briton to point out "contradictions" in Federer's comments.

The two remain on course to meet in next Sunday's final in a rematch of the US Open title match, where Federer recorded his last win over the 21-year-old Scot.

Fourth seed Murray is seeking his maiden Grand Slam win here and Britain's first since 1936.

Dokic progresses in Australian Open

MELBOURNE (AFP) - Australian wildcard Jelena Dokic kept her remarkable story going when she upset Russia's Alisa Kleybanova 7-5, 5-7, 8-6 to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open on Sunday.

Dokic will now play Dinara Safina after defeating the world number 31 in a three hour epic.

After entering the tournament ranked 187th in the world, Dokic finds herself playing the world number three for a place in the final four of the year's first Grand Slan.

It is a story that almost defies belief.

After bursting onto the scene in the late 1990s, Dokic stunned the tennis world when as a 15-year-old she beat then number one Martina Hingis in the first round of Wimbledon in 1999.

The following year she reached the semi-finals at the All England Club and by 2002 was the world number four with five WTA titles to her name.

But under the influence of now estranged father Damir, she fell out with Australian tennis officials and returned to her native Serbia, her tennis career suffering badly as a result.

By 2004 she was all but out of the game until she began her comeback late last year.

Dokic will finish the Australian Open inside the top 100, well on the way to her year-end goal of being ranked inside the top 50.

"I may have to change my goals now," she admitted after defeating her third seeded player in a row.

She ousted Anna Chakvetadze (seeded 17) in the second round and Caroline Wozniacki (11) in the third before accounting for Kleybanova (29).

But she had a big fright on the way when she fell heavily after twisting her ankle when returning a serve while leading 6-5 in the third set.

She got up and brushed aside the trainer's offer to strap her ankle at the next change of ends, came back on and held serve then broke Kleybanova to seal victory in three hours.

"My foot really got stuck," she said.

"But I kind of just think I lost one point after that, so maybe it was a little bit distracting to her as well.

"It was a little bit painful, but I looked at it and it wasn't swollen -- sometimes when it's a really bad strain it gets swollen straightaway.

"I thought I would try to play a point or two, and if it's not great I'll call a trainer straightaway."

Dokic said the strain of playing so many long matches was catching up with her.

"I was really physically exhausted tonight but I kept on fighting and the crowd got right behind me in the third set," she said.

"Every single match I've played has been three sets. I really had to come through in all of them."

Kleybanova, playing her first match on a major centre court, could have been forgiven for being slightly overawed by the occasion, but she was the steadier of the two players in the beginning.

Both players looked nervous throughout and holding serve was a continuous battle.

There were five breaks of serve in each of the first two sets, although both players steadied in the third, which then developed into a battle of nerves.

Kleybanova broke early in the third but Dokic struck back to level at 3-3, then games went with serve until Dokic made the vital breakthrough.

"It was hard to stay positive when I lost the second set and and went down a break in the third, but I just kept on fighting and it paid off," she said.

Australian Open - Magnificent Murray mauls Melzer

Andy Murray removed any doubts he was not a serious contender for the Australian Open title with a clinical 7-5 6-0 6-3 third-round demolition of Austria's Juergen Melzer.

The fourth-seed showed all of the composure, shot making and court coverage that has propelled him into the world's top four and made him one of the pre-tournament favourites.

"I thought I hit the ball really, really well," Murray said. "I took a lot of my chances. I made him do a lot of running and was very confident from the second set onwards."

The 21-year-old has already beaten Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer on hardcourts in the past month and his confidence was no more evident when he sealed the second set with a nonchalant volley into the open court and continued walking to his chair.

Murray, who was taken to five sets by Melzer at the US Open last year, gave the Austrian no chance to repeat the experience with clever use of angles, audacious chips and drop shots and varying the pace of his returns.

"I just felt more confident going into the match," Murray said of his feeling before he went into the third round clash.

"I knew if I played well I felt like I could go on to win in three sets if I grabbed the first set.

"He's one of those guys that, when he's behind, he's dangerous because he doesn't think a whole lot.

"I think when it starts to get close against him and he starts thinking is when he starts to make more mistakes, like at the end of the first set.

"But when he gets ahead, you know, he can start serving well and he can get confident. The start was very important.

"I do think I played much better today than at the U.S. Open."

The victory secured a fourth round clash with Spain's 14th seed Fernando Verdasco, who thrashed Radek Stepanek 6-4 6-0 6-0.

"I haven't really seen a whole lot of his match," Murray said of the Spanish left hander.

"I think Stepanek, I don't know if he had something wrong with him or not, but he didn't look like he was particularly interested.

"Against Verdasco, I really have to use my head.

"I have a very good record against left handers. The only one I've lost to on the tour has been Nadal.

"I need to use my head, make him do a lot of thinking and moving (and) if I play like I did tonight, I can definitely win that one."

Australian Open - Fed: I'd win a Murray five-setter

Roger Federer said that he would take on super-fit Briton Andy Murray "any day" over five sets after surviving a marathon match in the Australian Open fourth round.

The Swiss insisted he felt fresh as a daisy after his three-and-a-half-hour work-out against Tomas Berdych and could easily go the distance with Murray despite their six-year age gap.

"I don't know how fit Murray is. I'll take him on any day in a five-setter," Federer said.

"He's younger so he's probably not so experienced. In the end it becomes very mental, and I know that this is where my biggest strength always comes into play.

"That's why I'm always going to favour myself in a fifth set."

Federer, 27, who has lost his last four matches against Murray, has fought a low-key war of words with the Scot since arriving here.

The 13-time Grand Slam champion pointedly questioned Murray's status as bookies' favourite at the start of the tournament, prompting the Briton to point out "contradictions" in Federer's comments.

The two remain on course to meet in next Sunday's final in a rematch of the US Open title match, where Federer recorded his last win over the 21-year-old Scot.

Fourth seed Murray is seeking his maiden Grand Slam win here and Britain's first since 1936.

American Andy Roddick, meanwhile, was full of confidence after dismissing Spain's Tommy Robrero, a player against who he has dropped just one set in 10 matches.

"I don't know that I've had a bad day against him," said the seventh seed, whose quarter-final opponent on Tuesday will be defending champion Novak Djokovic.

Roddick, who says he has trimmed down by about seven kilograms after a gruelling off-season, has made the semi-finals three times at Melbourne Park in his seven previous visits but has yet to reach the final.

"So far so good. I get to play another day," said the 26-year-old.

"I've been in the tournament for nine days now and just trying to get a step further each time.

"I'm not going to think about it in two parts. It's a whole tournament. I just want to continue to stay alive each day."

AFP

Federer, Djokovic fight back at Australian Open

MELBOURNE (AFP) - The Australian Open was blown wide open Sunday when top seed Jelena Jankovic crashed out while Roger Federer was forced to mount a memorable comeback to beat Tomas Berdych.

The Serb's crushing 6-1, 6-4 defeat to French 16th seed Marion Bartoli put her alongside Ana Ivanovic and Venus Williams as high-profile early round casualties, raising further questions about her world number one status.

Federer looked like he could join Jankovic after losing the first two sets to Czech Berdych, battling back to win 4-6, 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 and stay on course for a record-equalling 14th Grand Slam title.

It was the first time Federer has come from two sets down since Miami in 2005, and he sees it as a good omen.

"Tomas did so well and he pushed me to the limit," said the Swiss three-time champion.

"I enjoy those kinds of fights because they don't happen very often, especially on Rod Laver Arena. I hope it is a good omen.

"I feel in great shape, I feel like I could go another two sets."

His next opponent is Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro, who recovered from a set down to grind out a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 win over fellow young gun Marin Cilic.

There was also safe passage to the quarter-finals for American Andy Roddick, who will play defending champion Novak Djokovic.

Djokovic held off 2006 runner-up Marcos Baghdatis 6-1, 7-6 (7/1), 6-7 (5/7), 6-2 in a match that started at 11:10 pm and finished at 2:26 am.

With Jankovic, Ivanovic and Williams now gone, the first Grand Slam of the season has become one of the most open ever with Bartoli into a quarter-final against Russia's Vera Zvonareva, who beat countrywoman Nadia Petrova 7-5, 6-4.

"It's obviously disappointing. Nobody likes to lose," said Jankovic, who looked lethargic as she tried to play her way into the match.

"It was a tough day for me. You know, I had a slow start. I let my opponent completely come on top of me and play her game."

She is now likely to lose her top ranking, but insisted it was not important.

"It doesn't matter because it's just the beginning of the year, and there is many more tournaments to play," she said.

Bartoli was ecstatic at the upset but said she always felt she could win.

"I knew I could beat Jelena on a good day, it was just a matter of executing it, playing the right shot at the right time and not making too many mistakes," said the Frenchwoman, who made the Wimbledon final in 2007.

Russian third seed Dinara Safina survived two match points to beat France's Alize Cornet 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 and will play Australian wildcard Jelena Dokic whose fairytale run continued with 7-5, 5-7, 8-6 win over Russia's Alisia Kleybanova.

Safina appeared certain to follow Jankovic out when Cornet was serving for the match at 5-4 and 40-15, but she somehow clung on and hauled herself out of trouble.

"I feel so lucky that I have the chance to play in the quarter-finals," said Safina.

"This is the first time I have won when two match points were against me. "There are no easy matches here, there are no easy Opens."

Argentina's del Potro became the youngest man in the last eight since Richard Krajicek in 1992 and has now reached two consecutive Grand Slam quarter-finals after last year's US Open.

"Against Roger, he will be the favourite. I'll change nothing for the game," insisted the the 20-year-old.

Seventh-seeded Roddick was in ominous form as he downed Spanish 21st seed Tommy Robredo 7-5, 6-1, 6-3.

After battling out a tight first set, Roddick steamrolled his opponent in the second and third to send out a warning that he cannot be underestimated as he looks to add to his lone Grand Slam triumph at the US Open in 2003.