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NEW YORK Former champions Roger Federer and Maria Sharapova and women's top seed Caroline Wozniacki reached the third round of the U.S. Open with straight-set wins. Five-time champion and No. 2 seed Federer beat Germany's Andreas Beck 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.
Federer has yet to drop a set at the season's final major.
"It's the perfect start," he said. "I played Monday, had two days off. I had another easy one physically today, and here I am in the third round feeling like I'm completely in the tournament."
Wozniacki took 47 minutes to ease past Kai-Chen Chang 6-0, 6-0. Sharapova, the 2006 champion from Russia, was a 6-1, 6-2 winner over Iveta Benesova.
The heat goes on
The third straight day of extreme heat had the biggest impact on Kei Nishikori and No.11 Marin Cilic, who needed one minute short of five hours to grind through their five-set match - a 5-7, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1 win for Nishikori.
With temperatures in the mid-90s, both players started cramping about two or three hours into the match. Both called for trainers, took breaks whenever they could. Both were walking gingerly when the match was over.
Associated press
