Federer advances to US Open second round

NEW YORK: The 17-time Grand Slam champion, Roger Federer advanced with ease Tuesday here at the US Open.

Federer made a solid start to his bid for a sixth US Open title by defeating Slovenia's Grega Zemlja 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 in a match delayed a day by rain.

"There wasn't much rhythm out there, but I was happy the way I played," said Federer. "Overall I'm pleased to be in the next round."

The 32-year-old Swiss star, who as the seventh seed is at his lowest spot in the US Open since 2002, will face Argentina's Carlos Berlocq in round two.

Federer, whose 56th Grand Slam start in a row matched South African Wayne Ferreira for the all-time record run, has only one title in his past 14 Slam starts, that coming last year at Wimbledon.

After a second-round exit this year at Wimbledon, Federer took only 93 minutes to eliminate Zemlja despite surrendering a third-set break.

"You're going to have sonme hiccups like I had today. It was a minor one," Federer said. "I might have had more confidence if I had closed it out without that. This way I had to fight a bit more. Who knows? Maybe that gives me confidence too."

Federer, who won five US Open titles in a row from 2004-2008, has not made the championship match on the Flushing Meadows hardcourts since losing to Juan Martin Del Potro in the 2009 final.

This year, Federer is on a quarter-final collision course with second seed Rafael Nadal, whom he has never faced at the US Open. (AFP)