Dominator Federer, newcomer Oudin set winning US Open tone

NEW YORK - Roger Federer performed his everyday magic to mow down Tommy Robredo 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 and reach the quarter-finals of the US Open, setting up a rerun of his winning French Open final as the men’s top seed started off week two with a solid win.

“I am happy where my game’s at right now. Next match is going to be tough, so I’m excited,” said the 15-time Grand Slam champion.

Aiming for a record sixth straight trophy at Flushing Meadows Monday, the Swiss world number one will play Robin Soderling, who advanced 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 when eighth seed Nikolay Davydenko retired with a groin injury.

Federer beat Soderling in June to win his first title at Roland Garros and repeated the victory in the Wimbledon fourth round for an 11-0 record against the Swede.

“When I think of him, obviously I think of the French Open final, which was a great one for me, a great tournament,” said Federer. “He’s been able to stay strong, and here he is in the quarters. It’s a tough challenge. I hope I can play well, because it’s always kind of close with him. He’s a tough player.”

Spain’s 10th seeded Fernando Verdasco advanced over US player John Isner 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 making it the first time in US Open history that no US man had reached the last eight.

He will play fourth seed Novak Djokovic, who beat Czech Radek Stepanek 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.

A US star was born on the women’s side with America’s newest tennis darling, Melanie Oudin, stretching her fairytale run by knocking out a third straight Russian opponent to move into a breakthrough last-eight spot.

The smiling 17-year-old from Georgia had her family on hand in the cavernous Ashe Stadium during a 1-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 comeback over Nadia Petrova.

Oudin, who announced her presence on the world stage with a Wimbledon fourth-round showing in July, calmly took down the number 13 after losing the opening set and going down a break in the second.

For the third time in as many matches, she rose to the occasion after losing the first set.

“I kept my belief even when I was down,” said Oudin, the youngest US woman to reach an Open quarter-final since Serena Williams a decade ago. “She was all over me, but I kept fighting. I got the break-back in the second set and took it from there. I’m so happy I won.

“She played a lot like my past two opponents, so I had the same kind of game plan going into it. I knew that she was really a tough competitor, and I was going to have to play a good match. That’s what I ended up doing.”

Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine crushed Argentine Gisela Dulko 6-0, 6-0, while Belgian Yanina Wickmayer put out Czech Petra Kvitova 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

The bubbly Oudin accounted for fourth seed Elena Dementieva in a second-round surprise, stunned 2006 champion Maria Sharapova in the third before completing her Russian hat-trick with Petrova.

She avoided a fourth Russian after Dane Caroline Wozniacki beat 2004 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3).

Federer was immaculate as he won his 38th straight at Flushing Meadows, where he last lost in 2003.

He toyed with Robredo after lifting the opening set, losing just two points on serve in the third set and ending the one-hour, 48-minute afternoon with his eighth and ninth aces.

He broke five times, fired 35 winners and never faced a break point against the outgunned 14th seed.