Sportmaster International

Miami - Roger Federer got on and off the court in a mere 47 minutes as Swede Robin Soderling retired with an illness while trailing 6-4, 3-0 in their third-round match.

While Federer might have sympathised slightly after dealing with the mononucleosis virus to start the season, the top seed was more pleased to have escaped the heat and move into the fourth round. ‘It’s a big difference between not playing at all and playing one and a half sets,’ said Federer, given a walkover at his last event at Indian Wells when German Tommy

Haas fell ill with bronchitis and never took the court. ‘Obviously I prefer a match,’ said Federer. ‘I warmed up, I was in the spirit of playing a match.’ Federer is shrugging off naysayers who said he has not won a title so far this season and that the Swiss reign of tennis terror - with 12 Grand Slam titles since Wimbledon in 2003 - may be waning. Instead of stating the obvious, that a 100 per cent performance may not be possible to maintain for more than four consecutive years, the 26-year-old prefers to let his racket speak for him. He next faces Argentine Jose Acasuso, who booked a place over Israeli Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-4. Federer said he was glad to get a test in the Miami spring heat. ‘I had to weather some tough conditions out there. The sun was right in your face on one end for the serve. There was also a crosswind. ‘We traded breaks, for this reason it was actually good to go out there and play today for me.’ Federer also expressed doubts as to the seriousness of the Soderling discomfort. ‘I just had the feeling he was not injured. You know, it was more simply tired or maybe the sun, maybe sick. Apparently it was fever. ‘It’s tough to call. I guess he was just really struggling with his footwork, and there’s no point to continue and risk your health in a moment like that.’ Fourth seed Nikolay Davydenko survived a first-set fright before defeating Italian Simone Bolelli 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-1. Women’s pacesetter Justine Henin led a trio of top five seeds into the quarter-finals, with Svetlana Kuznetsova the only one made to work a bit. Number one Henin advanced at the expense of Russian Elena Vesnina 6-2, 6-2. Kuznetsova, seeded third and the 2006 champion, needed a tiebreak to eliminate Shahar Peer 7-6 (7-4), 6-3. ‘I played a very good first set actually, ’said Henin. ‘I was consistent and I was serving very well. ‘The wind was quite strong today, and I lost my intensity and my concentration. In the second set - especially in that game (sixth of the second set) where I had my four double faults - I had really the sun in the eyes there and it was quite windy at that time of the match. ‘I’m happy the way I played, especially in the first set.’ Serbian fourth seed Jelena Jankovic won her third match in as many days over China’s Zheng Jie 6-4, 7-5. Russian Dinara Safina ended the run of veteran Lindsay Davenport 6-3, 6-4, a day after the 31-year-old mother beat world number two Ana Ivanovic. Three-time champion Venus Williams earned a win and believes she can put her tennis back into orbit. ‘If I’m playing on cloud nine, I’m trying to get to cloud 10 and actually cloud 11,’ joked the US sixth seed after dispatching Danish teenager Caroline Wozniacki 6-3, 6-3.