All seeds advance, four Americans fall

There will be plenty of great third round match-ups at the US Open, thanks to a great showing from seeded players on Friday. While No. 8 seed Andy Roddick was still battling young Latvian Ernest Gulbis at the time of posting, the other 13 seeds that played on Friday went a perfect 13 for 13.

Roger Federer, aiming for his fifth straight US Open title won easily, while last year’s runner-up and current No. 3 seed Novak Djokovic won a close three set match over 28-year-old American Robert Kendrick. Kendrick wasn’t the only American to fall on Friday, as No. 11 seed Fernando Gonzalez, No. 18 Nicolas Almagro and No. 30 Marin Cilic defeated Bobby Reynolds, Sam Warburg and Robby Ginepri, respectively. Ginepri, a surprise semifinalist in 2005, had made at least the third round in four of the last five years.

Virtual unknown Portugal native Rui Machado, looking for his sixth career win, almost took down No. 13 Fernando Verdasco in what began as one of the best matches of the tournament, but fell in disappointing 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-0 fashion. ATP veterans Mart Safin, Tommy Haas and Carlos Moya also fell, while Gilles Muller and Jarkko Nieminen both came from two sets down to win in five.

At the time of posting, Roddick was leading Gulbis two sets to one with a 3-2 lead in the fourth set. A Roddick win would leave 14 of a possible 16 seeds in the bottom half of the draw, while top seed Rafael Nadal only has eight other seeds remaining on his half.

**update - Roddick defeats Gulbis 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 7-5.

Day Three results:
No. 2 Roger Federer (SUI) def. Thiago Alves (BRA) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4
No. 3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) def. Robert Kendrick (USA)
7-6 (8), 6-4, 6-4
No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) def. Agustin Calleri (ARG)
6-4, 6-4, 7-6 (2)
No. 8 Andy Roddick (USA) vs. Ernest Gulbis (LAT)
No. 11 Fernando Gonzalez (CHI) def. Bobby Reynolds (USA)
7-6 (6), 6-4, 6-4
No. 13 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def. Rui Machado (POR)
6-7 (5), 7-6 (5), 6-4, 6-7 (6), 6-0
No. 15 Tommy Robredo (ESP) def. Marat Safin (RUS)
4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4, 6-0
No. 18 Nicolas Almagro (ESP) def. Sam Warburg (USA) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
No. 19 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) def. Carlos Moya (ESP)
4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4
No. 23 Igor Andreev (RUS) def. Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 7-6 (3), 6-4, 6-3
No. 26 Dmitry Tursunov (RUS) def. Victor Hanescu (ROU)
6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4, 6-2
No. 28 Radek Stepanek (CZE) def. Chris Guccione (AUS)
6-4, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 6-2
No. 30 Marin Cilic (CRO) def. Robby Ginepri (USA) def.
6-4, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
No. 31 Andreas Seppi (ITA) def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)
6-2, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Gilles Muller (LUX) def. Tommy Haas (GER) 2-6, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-3
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) def. Ivo Minar (CZE) 6-7 (2), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2

Notable third round matches:
No. 2 Roger Federer (SUI) vs. No. 28 Radek Stepanek (CZE)
No. 3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) vs. No. 30 Marin Cilic (CRO)
No. 5 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) vs. No. 26 Dmitry Tursunov
No. 7 David Nalbandian (ARG) vs. No. 32 Gael Monfils (FRA)
No. 9 James Blake (USA) vs. Mardy Fish (USA)
No. 13 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs. No. 23 Igor Andreev (RUS)
No. 14 Ivo Karlovic (CRO) vs. Sam Querrey (USA)
No. 15 Tommy Robredo (ESP) vs. No. 19 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA)