Roger Federer saved the lone break point he faced Saturday in a 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 victory over No. 25 Fernando Verdasco to advance to the fourth round of the U.S. Open.
As he did in his previous win, Federer came to net frequently, winning 26 points from the front compared to 36 from the baseline.
He broke Verdasco in the Spaniard’s first service game of the second and third sets and was barely challenged on his own serve. The single break point Federer faced came at 3-2 in the second set, when Federer won a 19-stroke rally — the longest of the match — by forcing Verdasco wide and getting him to miss a down-the-line forehand.
Federer is trying to set an Open-era record with his sixth U.S. Open title.