CINCINNATI (Ohio), July 30: Roger Federer came close to suffering three successive losses for the first time in five years before scrambling to a 6-7, 7-6, 6-0 win over Robbie Ginepri at the Cincinnati Masters Series on Tuesday.

Federer was staring defeat in the face when he lost his serve to go 5-6 down in the second set, but Ginepri, an American ranked down at 64 in the world, did not quite have what it took to close the match out.

Had he done so it would have left the door open for Rafael Nadal to end Federer’s record four-and-half year reign as world No 1 this week.

Instead, Federer limped on into a second set tiebreak which he won only after 12 tense rallies when Ginepri hit a not too venomous forehand drive from the Siwss back across court and just wide.

It may nevertheless have strengthened Nadal’s belief that he can take over as number one quite soon, and possibly still this week. If Federer fails to reach the semi-finals and Nadal wins the tournament, it will still happen.

Federer created many opportunities to win rallies which he could not take, and crucially could not convert three break points at 4-3 in the second set, when he had Ginepri floundering in wider and wider positions.

Each time the American, who came close to beating Federer here in the semi-finals three years ago, managed to get the ball back just one more time, and long enough for an anxious Federer to make a mistake.

This match followed Federer’s loss of the Wimbledon title to Nadal in the final three and a half weeks ago, and a shock opening round loss to Frenchman Gilles Simon in Toronto last week.

Federer broke immediately at the start of the final set and the danger was over. He accelerated to 4-0, and by the end of the contest, his release of tension was palpable.

Tuesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Second round: 16-Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) bt Jose Acasuso (Argentina) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3); 1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Robby Ginepri (US) 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-0; Robin Soderling (Sweden) bt 12-Tommy Robredo (Spain) 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.

First round: Simone Bolelli (Italy) bt Kevin Anderson (South Africa) 6-3, 7-6 (7-1); 10-Fernando Verdasco (Spain) bt Victor Estrella (Dominican Republic) 6-3, 7-5; Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) bt Marin Cilic (Croatia) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; Carlos Moya (Spain) bt Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) 7-6 (7-5), 7-5; Chris Guccione (Australia) bt Jesse Levine (US) 6-3, 6-4; Arnaud Clement (France) bt Thomas Johansson (Sweden) 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (5-7), 6-3; Florent Serra (France) bt Benjamin Becker (Germany) 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4; John Isner (US) bt Andrea Stoppini (Italy) 7-6 (7-2), 6-3; 11-Richard Gasquet (France) bt Michael Llodra (France) 3-6, 6-1, 1-0 – Llodra retired; Gilles Simon (France) bt Rajeev Ram (US) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

SEEDS TUMBLE

MONTREAL: Slovakia’s Dominika Cibulkova shocked fifth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-2 to reach the Montreal Cup third round on Tuesday.

Dementieva was joined at the exit door by eighth-seeded compatriot Vera Zvonareva, who was upset 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 by Frenchwoman Virginie Razzano.

Japan’s Ai Sugiyama provided the day’s other upset, dispatching 16th-seeded Czech Nicole Vaidisova 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.

Russian fourth seed Svetlana Kuznetsova progressed, however, reaching the third round when compatriot Alla Kudryavtseva retired with a shoulder injury.

Kuznetzova, the 2004 US Open champion, took the opening set 6-1 and was 1-0 up in the second when Kudryavtseva, unable to serve, walked to net to shake hands. Belarusian 11th seed Victoria Azarenka also had an untroubled opener, pounding American Jamea Jackson 6-1 6-1 and Italian 15th seed Flavia Pennetta rallied past Ukraine’s Olga Savchuk 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Aleksandra Wozniak, who became the first Canadian in over 20 years to win a WTA singles title with victory at Stanford two weeks ago, delighted a capacity crowd with a 6-2, 1-6, 7-5 win over 18-year-old Chan Yung-Jan of Chinese Taipei.

The world’s top three players, Serbian No 1 Ana Ivanovic, compatriot Jelena Jankovic and Russian Maria Sharapova were scheduled to begin their campaigns on Wednesday following first-round byes.

Results:

Second round: Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) bt 5-Elena Dementieva (Russia) 6-4, 6-2; Virginie Razzano (France) bt 8-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (7-2); 4-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) bt Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia) 6-1, 1-0 – Kudryavtseva retired.

First round: Aleksandra Wozniak (Canada) bt Chan Yung-Jan (Taiwan) 6-2, 1-6, 7-5; 15-Flavia Pennetta (Italy) bt Olga Savchuk (Ukraine) 1-6, 7-5, 6-3; Sybille Bammer (Austria) bt Monique Adamczak (Australia) 6-7 (6-8), 6-1, 6-2; Jill Craybas (US) bt Sharon Fichman (Canada) 6-4, 6-3; Marta Domachowska (Poland) bt Bethanie Mattek (US) 7-5, 6-2; Melinda Czink (Hungary) bt Julie Ditty (US) 7-6 (7-4), 6-0; 12-Nadia Petrova (Russia) bt Marie-Eve Pelletier (Canada) 6-0, 6-1; Alisa Kleybanova (Russia) bt Ahsha Rolle (US) 6-4, 6-2; Ai Sugiyama (Japan) bt 16-Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; 13-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) bt Anne Keothavong (Britain) 6-1, 7-5; 11-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) bt Jamea Jackson (US) 6-1, 6-1.—Reuters