Federer victorious in Miami

Mar 25, 2007, 6:52 GMT

Miami, FL - Two-time defending champion Roger Federer beat American Sam Querrey, 6-4, 6-3 and advanced to the third round at the $3.45 million Sony Ericsson Open, an ATP Masters Series event.

Federer, who beat Ivan Ljubicic in last year's finale at this lucrative hardcourt tournament, was also the runner-up here in 2002. Federer, already a two-time titlist this year, is trying to become the first player to win three championships in a row at the event since Andre Agassi (2001-03) turned the trick.

This was Federer's first match since losing to Argentine Guillermo Canas at Indian Wells on March 11, when the super Swiss had his 41-match winning streak broken.

There to support Federer was Tiger Woods, who is competing this weekend, also in Miami. Like Federer, Woods is again at the top of his game, leading going into the final round.

Federer walked alongside Woods during a practice round Wednesday at the World Golf Championships, and Woods repaid tennis' No. 1 player by making a visit Saturday night to the player's lounge, prior to Federer's match.

Next up for Federer will be either 29th seed Nicolas Almagro of Spain or Italian Potito Starace. That match was tied at 4-4 in the first set, but will finish Sunday after several rain delays hampered play at the sprawling Crandon Park Tennis Center.

A seventh-seeded Ljubicic advanced with a 6-3, 6-2 handling of Italian Filippo Volandri.

In other top-10-seeded play, Colombian Alejandro Falla took out ninth-seeded German Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-4.

Eleventh-seeded Argentine David Nalbandian got past American Vincent Spadea 6-3, 6-4, while 14th-seeded Czech slugger Tomas Berdych handled Frenchman Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-1 and 15th-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet outlasted his countryman Sebastien Grosjean 6-4, 0-6, 6-2. Grosjean was a Miami finalist back in 1999.

Other seeded Day-4 winners were No. 20 Finn Jarkko Nieminen and No. 23 Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela.

There was an upset as Canas defeated 19th-seed Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-5

The 2007 Miami champion will pocket $533,350.

© 2007 The Sports Network