Kim Clijsters, Rafael Nadal reach third round at Australian Open

As expected, both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer advanced in their Round 2 matches on Day 3 of the 2012 Australian Open in Melbourne, although Federer's victory was in a slightly different form than anticipated.


The No. 2-ranked Nadal defeated German-born Tommy Haas in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4. Nadal has been dealing with a nagging knee injury, but won the match handily. Haas did take an early lead in the final set, but Nadal battled back and closed out the win during his opponent's serve.


Federer, currently ranked as the No. 3 men's tennis player in the world, advanced to the third round when his Day 3 opponent, Andreas Beck of Germany, withdrew due to injury. There was a note of bittersweet irony here, as Federer was forced to pull out of his semifinal match due to a back injury in the last tournament he participated in, at the Qatar Open in early January. It is not yet determined who Federer or Nadal will face in Round 3.


No. 11 Juan Martin del Potro also advanced, defeating Blaz Kavcik in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.


For complete updates and coverage of the 2012 Autralian Open, please stay tuned to SB Nation's tennis hub.


Clijsters needed only 47 minutes to beat Stephanie Foretz Gacon of France, 6-0, 6-1, on Wednesday, conceding just 10 points in the first set and showing no signs of a hip problem that forced her to retire during a semifinal against Daniela Hantuchova at a warmup tournament two weeks ago.


She will meet Hantuchova in the next round, and has a potential rematch of the 2011 Australian Open final with Li Na in the fourth round.


Roger Federer, who has won four of his 16 Grand Slam titles in Australia, got a walkover into the third round when Andreas Beck of Germany withdrew because of a lower back injury. The third-seeded Federer will next meet either Ivo Karlovic of Croatia or Carlos Berlocq of Argentina.


Mardy Fish, at No. 8 the highest-ranked American, became the first top-10 player on the men's side to lose, falling, 7-6 (4), 6-3, 7-6 (6), to Colombia's Alejandro Falla.


Rafael Nadal, seeded No. 2 in the men's draw, had no problems getting past Tommy Haas of Germany, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4.


No. 7 Tomas Berdych advanced with a 6-1, 6-0, 7-6 (4) win over Olivier Rochus of Belgium and Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany was leading 6-0, 4-0 when Spain's Pere Riba retired with an injured left foot. No. 30 Kevin Anderson of South Africa beat Sergiy Stakhovsky of Ukraine 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-3.


Clijsters and No. 20 Hantuchova, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 winner over Lesia Tsurenko, have been playing each other for years.


"When the injury happened, it happened against Daniela," Clijsters said of the hip muscle spasms she had at the Brisbane International. "She's been playing well this season so far.


"We both go back a long way — we grew up playing under-14s together. Now almost 30 — still battling it out."


This is Clijsters' best run at a major since the 2011 Australian Open — she lost in the second round at the French Open and didn't play Wimbledon or the U.S. Open.


Li also is returning to form, going further than she has at a Grand Slam tournament since her breakthrough win at the French Open last year. She next plays No. 26 Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain, who beat Olga Govortsova of Belarus, 6-1, 6-0.


Clijsters still clearly feels at home on a court where she's still known as "Aussie Kim" long after her relationship with Australian star Lleyton Hewitt ended.