Canas fails to tame Federer for third time

When Roger Federer lost to Guillermo Canas in two successive Masters series tournaments last spring the tennis world asked whether the game's greatest player was in decline. Within six months he had successfully defended his Wimbledon and US Open titles and reached the final of the French Open.

Yesterday Canas was no match for Federer here in the second round of the Rome Masters, but it will take more than a victory over the world No 30 to convince those who are wondering again how much longer the Swiss can maintain his grip at the top of the game. His 6-3, 6-3 victory over Canas was impressive enough, but such is Rafael Nadal's supremacy on clay that the Swiss may have to wait until the start of the grass-court season before reaffirming his authority.

Federer claimed his first clay-court title of the year – indeed his first on any surface – in Estoril last month, but Nadal did not play in that tournament. When the world's two best players renewed their rivalry in the final at Monte-Carlo the following week it was the Spaniard who came out on top once again.

While Nadal's supremacy on clay is almost taken for granted these days, Federer's fallibility in the first three months of the year – he failed to win any of his first four tournaments – cast some doubts on his ability to maintain his authority on other surfaces. The fact that he was suffering from glandular fever at the start of the year has been conveniently forgotten in some quarters and Federer has only recently felt back to his best in terms of health and fitness.

"It was the right choice for me to go and play at Estoril and give myself a chance to play some matches," he said. "I was lacking matches at one stage, when I lost in Dubai [to Andy Murray]. Now I'm again back in my stride and I feel like I'm playing well and nothing ever happened, but it was a tough couple of months early on.

"It was a tough match today and I played well. I felt like I was in the groove right away. I think the week off [after Monte-Carlo] was good for me, but I practised hard as well.

"Rome is a new start for everyone. Everything is in Europe now and everything's different and everyone is adjusting. Some players don't come over until Rome, and some don't even play the whole clay-court season. Some even go to South America and play."

Federer's victory over Canas never looked in doubt from the moment he broke serve to take a 4-2 lead. The world No 1's confidence was reflected in his exquisite use of the drop shot, a stroke he often ignores. Canas had a chance to break in the sixth game of the second set, but a net-cord winner saved Federer, who went on to win the last four games.

When asked about his use of the drop shot, Federer said he had followed the advice of his Davis Cup captain, Severin Luthi, who noticed how far Canas stood back in his match the previous day. Federer said: "I tried one and it worked and I tried two, so I said: ‘OK. I'll do a few more." And it worked even better. Not every player gives you the opportunity to do it, but he definitely did."

While Federer believes he has the game to win on clay – even against Nadal – Andy Roddick is under no illusions about the surface. The American's huge serve and booming forehand are formidable weapons elsewhere, but on clay he has to find other ways to win.

Roddick has made little impression in past clay-court seasons, but got his 2008 campaign off to a good start when he beat his fellow American, Mardy Fish, 6-1, 6-4 in an hour and six minutes. The match statistics were the opposite of what you might expect from a typical Roddick win. He hit only three aces (to Fish's five) and 11 winners (to Fish's 23), but with only 14 unforced errors to his name (Fish made 32) it was clear who played the more consistent tennis.

"I enjoy the challenge of clay," Roddick said afterwards. "It's obviously my toughest surface, which makes the wins that I do get that much more satisfying. I felt pretty good today. Mardy is an attacking playing player, and if he was going to attack I knew I had to make him do it from deep in the court. I was able to do that.

"I've been training at home, but it's never really the same as an actual tournament atmosphere, especially when you try to practise on American clay courts and then come over here, where it's a little bit different. It's good to be able to get through the first one so at least you're getting some matches in."

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