It was the turn of Roger Federer to have a brief look at death, but he came back from the brink to defeat Gilles Simon in five sets. Federer started brilliantly, came to the net frequently during the first two service games of Gilles Simon and took away one of them. After that he settled down to his normal play of testing his opponent from the back of the court. Gilles Simon neither possessed big serves nor raw power on his ground strokes. His third service game also went the Federer way, this time on ground strokes from the back of the court. Federer tactics has a set formula where he is the first to go off the blocks and never look back. In no time, he went two sets up. The opponent is usually left chasing his shadow. But this opponent was different. Gilles Simon defied all and got two sets back. That was as far as he went. In the final set, it was all Federer. Gilles Simon found it hard to get his first serve in. When he was broken 2-4, it was virtually all over. At 2-5 0-40, Gilles Simon put in his last efforts and got to 3-5. But that was all as far as he was allowed to go. Federer sealed the match on his service game 6-3 in the fifth on the fifth match point. The score line 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6. 6-3 aptly describes the drama that went on for three and quarter of hours. He next meets Xavier Malisse which may not give him any jitters.
Novak Djokovic battled hard, but did not get any scare in his four set 7-5, 6-7, 6-0, 6-2 victory over Ivan Dodiq.
Some of the tough matches with potential for drama coming on the fourth day are:
1. Juan Martin Del Potro - Marcos Baghdatis
2. John Isner - Radek Stepanek
3. Bernard Tomic - Feliciano Lopez
4. Alexandr Dolgopolov - Benjamin Becker
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