While many Americans were eager to get home early on Friday for the start of the long Labor Day weekend, Roger Federer and Jelena Jankovic were in no hurry to join the celebrations and labored to victory at the US Open. Federer, still getting used to his place at the bottom of a draw after being deposed as world number one last week, should have hot-footed into the third round as he was playing a Brazilian qualifier who had not played a tour-level match this season before arriving at Flushing Meadows. Instead Thiago Alves ignored his status as the 137th best player in the world and gave the four-time champion the run around before Federer eventually prevailed 6-3, 7-5, 6-4. Troubled by gusting winds and a stubborn opponent, Federer racked up 46 unforced errors. In a sign of his troubled times, he also managed to convert only four of his 15 break points. Drama queen Jankovic again set the pulses of her nearest and dearest racing as she struggled to navigate past China's Zheng Zie. In an error-riddled match featuring 14 breaks, Jankovic could not believe her luck when she was dragged into an 18-minute final game. After surviving seven break points, the Serbian second seed claimed a 7-5, 7-5 third-round victory. “(My mum) she told me she's under so much stress. It's tough for her to watch this,” Jankovic, who was stretched to three sets in the second round, told reporters. “I wish I could finish 2 and 2 but it didn't work today. I hope (I can in) the next match.” Her win would have healed dented Serbian pride after world number one Ana Ivanovic was toppled in the second round on Thursday. Jankovic's potential semi-final opponent, Olympic champion Elena Dementieva, ended the run of Briton Anne Keothavong 6-3, 6-4. Next up for the Russian will be China's Li Na. Li, ranked 36th, recovered from a second-set lapse to beat Russian Ekaterina Makarova 6-1, 4-6, 6-2. While men's third seed Novak Djokovic tamed big-hitting American qualifier Robert Kendrick 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 to reach the third round, the women's third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia lost in the third round, making a slew of unforced errors to hand the match 6-3, 6-7, 6-3 to Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia. Among the men, fifth seed Nikolay Davydenko made it through to the last 32 by beating Argentina's Agustin Calleri 6-4, 6-4, 7-6 and Olympic silver medalist Fernando Gonzalez progressed with a 7-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over American Bobby Reynolds. Gilles Muller and Jarkko Nieminen each rallied from two sets down to win. Muller, who once beat Roddick at the US Open and Rafael Nadal at Wimbledon, defeated Tommy Haas of Germany 2-6, 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3, 6-3, and Finlands's Nieminen topped the Czech Republic's Ivo Minar 6-7 (2), 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-2. On Thursday world No. 1 Rafael Nadal wasted no time booking his place in the third round, steamrolling Ryler DeHeart 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. Serena and Venus Williams rolled over their opponents on Thursday with Serena defeating Elena Vesnina of Russia 6-1, 6-1 and Venus brushing aside 113th ranked Rossana De Los Rios 6-0, 6-3. – Reuters __
