Federer is back on track with Rome Masters victory

ROME — Roger Federer is back on track.

The top-ranked player defeated one of his most challenging opponents Tuesday, cruising past Guillermo Canas 6-3, 6-3 in the second round of the Rome Masters.

Perhaps more importantly, Federer said he is nearly back to normal after being slowed by mononucleosis earlier in the year.

"I think I was lacking matches at one stage, when I lost in the first round of Dubai. Now, I'm again back in my stride and feel like I'm playing well and nothing ever happened," Federer said. "It was a tough couple of months early on."

Also Tuesday, Andy Roddick defeated Mardy Fish 6-1, 6-4 in an all-American matchup. Roddick's only other match on clay this year was a Davis Cup win against Jurgen Melzer in February.

"It's OK," Roddick said of his game on clay. "I only have one match to judge it on and that's this one, so I guess it's good."

In first-round play, 2001 champion Juan Carlos Ferrero rallied past Nicolas Kiefer 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 to set up a meeting with three-time defending champion Rafael Nadal.

Also, 14th-seeded Tommy Robredo defeated Juan Ignacio Chela 6-4, 6-1, Jose Acasuso eliminated Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-2 and Croatian wild card Mario Ancic dispatched Feliciano Lopez 6-4, 6-4.

Three seeds were upset in the first round Tuesday. No. 11 Carlos Moya was eliminated by fellow Spanaird Fernando Verdasco, 6-3, 6-4; Frenchman Gilles Simon beat his 10th-seeded compatriot Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (6); and Croatia's Ivo Karlovic defeated 15th-seeded Paul-Henri Mathieu 7-6 (4), 6-2.

GERMAN OPEN: At Berlin, Serena Williams won her 16th straight match, defeating Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-3 Tuesday in the second round of the German Open. Williams is chasing her fourth straight WTA title. Her last loss came in February against Jelena Jankovic in the Australian Open quarterfinals. Two other seeded players also advanced. No. 8 Marion Bartoli cruised past Lucie Safarova 6-0, 6-3, and No. 7 Elena Dementieva defeated Kateryna Bondarenko 6-1, 6-2. Vera Dushevina upset ninth-seed Patty Schnyder, 6-2, 6-3, and Gisela Dulko beat No. 12 Nicole Vaidisova, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.