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Henin, Safina march into Australian Open third round
But Henin managed to hold that game, hitting the lines with her groundstrokes instead of just missing them, and in the next game converted her first break-point chance against Kleybanova. As soon Henin found her range, the match was as good as over. “I kind of survived a little bit today,” Henin said. “It’s always good to win this kind of match because I came back from nowhere.
“Physically I suffered a little bit in the last two days, but finally I did it. I’m very happy that I have another chance to get better in the next round.” US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro had a 6-3, 0-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over Florian Mayer, then crossed himself, kissed his finger and reached for the sky.
“The crowd helped me a lot to give fight. I wanted to be alive a few more days here in Melbourne,” said the 21-year-old Argentine, who is a reigning major champion for the first time. Del Potro lost the Roger Federer in the quarterfinals here last year, but avenged that by beating the 15-time Grand Slam winner in the US Open final in September.
Andy Roddick through
If he wins in the fourth round, he could meet former No. 1-ranked Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals.
Seventh-seeded Roddick, whose best shot at a second major to go with his 2003 US Open title ended in a five-set loss to Federer in last year’s Wimbledon final, was challenged all the way in a 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (3) win over Feliciano Lopez.
The American next will play 2007 runner-up Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, who was backed by a noisy Chilean contingent in stifling conditions on Showcourt 2 as he beat Kazakhstan’s Evgeny Korolev 6-7 (5), 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Britain’s Andy Murray had a 7-5, 6-1, 6-4 win over Florent Serra of France and will next face American John Isner, who fired 26 aces and hit 73 winners in a 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) victory over No. 12 Gael Monfils of France.
On paper, it was an upset, although 24-year-old Isner -- who was given the last seeding for the tournament after Frenchman Gilles Simon withdrew -- went into the match with a two wins and only one loss against Monfils.
The winner of the Murray-Isner match is likely to face defending champion Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals. Nadal had a night match Friday against Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany. Roddick broke Lopez in the third game of the second set and the ninth of the third set, serving out at love both times.“The only thing that matters, you’re just trying to get through, and that happened,” Roddick said.
Henin faces Wickmayer next
That was Henin’s first tournament since she quit while holding the No. 1 ranking in May 2008. In what is shaping as the Belgian quarter, Henin now must beat Yanina Wickmayer to have a chance at a quarterfinal against Clijsters.
Wickmayer, who is ranked No. 16 but unseeded because she was under a suspension -- since overturned -- for breaching the World Anti-Doping Agency’s “whereabouts rule” when direct entries closed for the Australian Open -- advanced 6-1, 6-7 (4), 6-3 over Sara Errani. She needed painkillers for back pain against Errani and said she’d need treatment before facing Henin.
Second-seeded Dinara Safina had a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Britain’s Elena Baltacha in her first match on Rod Laver Arena since her lopsided loss to Serena Williams in last year’s final.
Safina, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, faces a fourth-round match against fellow Russian Maria Kirilenko, who beat Italian Roberta Vinci 7-5, 7-6 (4). Kirilenko ousted 2008 champion Maria Sharapova in the opening round.
“I think Sharapova hits it harder than Safina, so I am prepared for sure,” Kirilenko said. Former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic was upset 6-2, 6-3 by No. 31 Alona Bondarenko, while China’s Zheng Jie upset 2007 Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli of France 5-7, 6-3, 6-0.
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