Football
Associated Press 19y

Federer into Qatar Open quarterfinals

DOHA, Qatar -- Tuning up to defend his Australian Open
title, Roger Federer beat Greg Rusedski 6-3, 6-4 Wednesday to reach
the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open.

The top-ranked Federer needed less than an hour to eliminate the
1997 U.S. Open runner-up. Playing comfortably from the baseline,
Federer was never in trouble, breaking Rusedski once in each set
for his 19th straight victory since the Athens Olympics.

Federer, who won three Grand Slam titles last year, next plays
seventh-seeded Feliciano Lopez of Spain.

Lopez beat qualifier Uros Vico of Italy 6-2, 7-6 (8-6).

Other winners Wednesday included No. 3 Sebastien Grosjean, No. 6
Ivan Ljubicic, No. 8 Nikolay Davydenko, 2002 French Open champion
Albert Costa, and Fabrice Santoro, who ended the run of top-ranked
junior Gael Monfils 6-2, 4-6, 7-5.

Monfils eliminated French Open champion Gaston Gaudio in the
first round and wasted a match point against Santoro, who'll meet
Costa next.

Ljubicic, last year's runner-up, faces Rafael Nadal, who beat
Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-4.

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