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Federer rediscovers world-beating form

"I don't know if I can be better than that"-Roger Federer,world No 1. PHOTO: AP

World No. 1 Roger Federer looked like his old dominant self on Tuesday as he swept aside France's Nicolas Mahut to reach the fourth round of the ATP and WTA Pacific Life Open.

Federer, whose uncharacteristic slow start to the season has led to suggestions his position atop the world rankings could be in jeopardy, showed any such prediction was premature as he crushed Mahut 6-1, 6-1 in just 53 minutes.

"I don't know if I can be better than that," Federer said.

Added Mahut: "I had the feeling I was a junior and he was a pro. It was the kind of match that at the end you feel like you want to ask him how much for the lesson."

Mahut won only four points against Federer's serve and his only point against the Swiss' serve in the first set was a Federer double fault.

Perhaps more impressive was Federer's return game, which surprised both Mahut and the Swiss himself.

Federer, who has yet to win a title this year, bowed out of the Australian Open in the semi-finals and lost in the first round at Dubai.

He has pinned much of his early-season sluggishness to the effects of mononucleosis, which disrupted his usual training and practice.

"I'm feeling like I'm playing good tennis again. I feel like I did at the Australian Open after my first couple of matches. But this time I'm more sure I'm over the sickness, whereas in Australia it was quite extreme," he said.

Federer acknowledged he enjoyed the feeling of totally dominating an opponent.

"I think this is what you want to do," said the Swiss, who has reigned atop the world rankings for 216 weeks. "You want to try to run over your opponent, not give him a chance anymore. It was a perfect match for me."

In the fourth round, Federer will face Croatian Ivan Ljubicic, a 6-3, 6-4 winner over Spain's Tommy Robredo.

Russian Nikolay Davydenko, the world No. 4, became the biggest casualty of the event, falling to unseeded American Mardy Fish 6-3, 6-2.

Fish, ranked 98th in the world, broke an eight-match losing streak against top-10 opponents -- a run of futility that had stretched back to last year's Australian Open.

He earned a fourth-round match against Australian Lleyton Hewitt, who beat Russian Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 6-1.

Seventh-seeded Argentine David Nalbandian advanced with a 7-6 (7/1), 0-6, 7-6 (8/6) victory over Czech Radek Stepanek, and next meets Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Ferrero edged Croatian Mario Ancic 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7). The Spaniard wasted one match point en route to the third-set tiebreaker, while Ancic was unable to convert two match points of his own in the tiebreaker.

Scottish 11th seed Andy Murray and German Tommy Haas booked a fourth-round meeting.

Murray beat Croatian Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (9/7), 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, while Haas, on the comeback trail after having a third shoulder operation last year, beat Spain's Fernando Verdasco 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 6-1.

Women's fourth-round action got underway on Tuesday in the US$5.7 million tournament, which includes both an ATP Masters Series and a WTA tier one event.

Australian Open champion Maria Sharapova, the fourth seed, preserved her perfect 2008 record with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 victory over Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko.

Sharapova took 2hr 45min to extend her match winning streak this year to 17, a run that included her Aussie Open triumph and a tournament win in Doha.

The Russian booked a quarter-final clash with defending champion and fifth seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia, a 6-1, 7-6 (7/4) winner over India's Sania Mirza.

Top-seeded Serbian Ana Ivanovic was tested by Italy's Francesca Schiavone but emerged with a 2-6, 7-5, 6-2 victory.
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