Federer handed walkover win in Melbourne

Jan 18, 2012, 4:17 GMT

Melbourne - Thurd seed Roger Fededer received a walkover into the third round of the Australian open after German opponent Andreas Beck withdrew prior to their match with a lower back problem. The match would have been the first since 2004 on a court other than the showcase Rod Laver arena for four-time tournament winner Federer, with the pair having ben scheduled on the Hisense arena in a surprise decision by organisers.

The walkover was the fourth for Federer against a German opponent after Tommy Haas in 2007 and 2008 and Philipp Kohlschreiber in 2010.

Federer will wait for a winner from the match between Croatian Ivo Karlovic and Carlos Berlocq.

Last year's women's finalists lost just five games between them as champion Kim Clijsters and runner-up Li Na powered into the third round of the Australian Open on Wednesday.

Clijsters, seeded 11th and coming back from six months of injury problems in 2011 in which she managed to play in just eight events, crushed Stephanie Foretz Gacon of France, 6-0, 6-1 while fifth seed Li was almost as ruthless in a 6-2, 6-2 defeat of Australian Olivia Rogowska.

Clijsters needed just 47 minutes for victory while Li went through in 62.

'The score looked but some games we were fighting a lot,' said French Open champion Li, 29. 'She's young and needs more experience, while I have a lot of experience on the court.'

Czech Iveta Benesova knocked out China's 16th seed Peng Shuai 6-2, 6-4

In men's play, Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych beat Belgian Olivier Rochus 6-1, 6-0, 7-6 (7-4) but Alejandro Falla of Colombia scored an upset against American eighth seed Mardy Fish 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, 7-6 (8-6).