Switzerland stars advance in Toronto

Toronto: Two-time champion Roger Federer turned on the style but Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka had to work much harder to advance Tuesday at the ATP Toronto Masters. Second seed Federer showed no mercy against Canadian Peter Polansky in a 6-2, 6-0 second-round thrashing which took just 52 minutes. 

 

Federer converted on six of seven break points as he played for the first time since his Wimbledon final against Novak Djokovic. 

It was much more difficult for Australian Open winner Wawrinka, who battled to a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/2) victory over Frenchman Benoit Paire.

 

The Swiss saved a match point in the tenth game of the final set and finally advanced with a running volley winner on the first of four match points. Promising Australian teenager Nick Kyrgios defeated Santiago Giraldo 7-6 (7/3), 7-5 to set up a second-round meeting with Andy Murray.

 

The Wednesday showdown will be a huge test for 2013 Wimbledon winner Murray, whose game has gone off the boil this season as he tries to regain his top form after back surgery 10 months ago.

 

The Scot has not played since he saw his hopes of defending his Wimbledon title dashed in a quarter-final defeat to Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov.

 

Kyrgios backed up his growing big-match reputation with his 94-minute win over Giraldo coming after the 19-year-old Aussie knocked Spaniard Rafael Nadal out in the fourth round of Wimbledon.

 

Australian Bernard Tomic was unable to follow Kyrgios as a winner, losing 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 7-6 (8/6) to Ivo Karlovic as the Croatian took revenge for a loss in the Bogata final last month. Italian 16th seed Fabio Fognini beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-4, 6-3, while Spain’s Tommy Robredo stopped German Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-6 (7/3).