Australian Open: Roger Federer handed a walkover as Rafael Nadal cruises through

IT MAY not have been as straightforward as Roger Federer’s passage into the third round but Rafael Nadal was pleased to have avoided any major drama in progressing at the Australian Open.

Federer received a walkover when German opponent Andreas Beck was forced out of their second-round clash due to a lower back problem.

The news broke at the same time Nadal was slugging it out on Rod Laver Arena against German veteran Tommy Haas.

But the Spanish second seed, who won 6-4, 6-3, 6-4, revealed afterwards he was quite happy to have played, and performed well, against a tricky opponent.

Asked if he too would have preferred a bye, he said: “Before the day started yes but now I played and won I am happy.”

Nadal had a couple of nervy moments, most notably in the first set when having already relinquished one of the two breaks he claimed to establish a 4-0 lead, he had to face another break point at 5-4. He escaped, though, thanks to some big serving and cruised through the second. Haas threatened again by moving 3-1 ahead in the third but Nadal simply upped his game to hit straight back and then broke again to move through to the last 32. Reflecting on a good work out, he added: “I don’t know if it was the perfect match but I won in three sets.

“It was positive but not that demanding [physically]. We didn’t play for four or five hours.”

As for the knee he injured when sitting on a chair on Sunday, Nadal insisted the heavy strapping was merely precautionary. “It is much better and I am so happy the knee is improving and I am able to play without pain,” he said.

Federer was also an injury concern coming into the event after hurting his back during the Qatar Open but it was not tested further yesterday.

The Swiss, seeded number three in Melbourne, revealed he was unaware of Beck’s injury until after practice this morning.

“I didn’t know anything about it until I saw him in the locker room and he came up to me. I was like ‘hey, what’s going on? Good to see you again’, because he’s a good friend. I’ve practised with him in the past in Switzerland. He said ‘I’m not so good actually, I have a bad back’. It came as a surprise.”

There will not be a next match for Mardy Fish, who became the highest seed to exit the tournament when he lost to Alejandro Falla.

World No 8 Fish turned in a mistake-laden performance, making 58 unforced errors, to hand the Colombian a 7-6 (7/4) 6-3 7-6 (8/6) victory in exactly three hours.

Elsewhere, seventh seed Tomas Berdych eased past the diminutive Belgian Olivier Rochus 6-1, 6-0, 7-6 (7/4), 11th seed Juan Martin Del Potro beat Blaz Kavcic 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 and left-handed Spaniard Feliciano Lopez overcame Flavio Cipolla 7-5, 7-6 (7/4), 6-2.