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Summary
Five-time defending champion Roger Federer booked a third-round US Open date with former world number one Lleyton Hewitt while six-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal cruised in his opener. World number one Federer, seeking his 16th career Grand Slam title, ousted Germany's Simon Greul 6-3, 7-5, 7-5 while Nadal's bid to complete a career Slam began with a 6-2, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Frenchman Richard Gasquet. Argentine sixth seed Juan Martin Del Potro advanced with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 victory over countryman Juan Monaco. The 20-year-old French Open semi-finalist will next face Austrian Jurgen Melzer. Former world number one Marat Safin concluded his Grand Slam career with a 1-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 first-round loss to Melzer. The 29-year-old Russian, a two-time Grand Slam winner, will retire at year's end. Safin, who won the 2000 US Open and 2005 Australian Open, might play again this year, he is happy the Slam farewell tour has finally run its course. Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero ousted France's Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. Frenchmen Gilles Simon and Gael Monfils, the ninth and 13th seeds respectively, also advanced. Monfils beat countryman Jeremy Chardy 6-1, 6-4, 6-3. Simon downed Spain's Daniel Gimeno-Traver 6-4, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3. Third seed Venus Williams stepped up her bid for her third U.S. Open title with a convincing 6-4 6-2 win over fellow American Bethanie Mattek-Sands on Wednesday. She will be joined in the third round by her sister, the second seed and pre-tournament favorite Serena, who cruised past Hungary's Melinda Czink 6-1 6-1. But another former world number one, Kim Clijsters of Belgian, continued her fine run on her grand slam comeback. She came from a set down to beat 14th seed Marion Bartoli of France 5-7 6-1 6-2 to reach the third round.
