Blake advances past Ginepri

The two Americans, who are close friends, battled in the first two sets.
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- James Blake could shrug it off with a joke and the offer of a free meal. Maybe even a trip to the casino.
Blake, seeded fifth, moved into the second week at the Australian Open at the expense of a close friend Saturday, ending Robby Ginepri's run with a 7-6 (6), 7-5, 6-2 victory.
He saved five set points -- one in the tiebreaker and four in the second -- and said that was the only difference between winning and losing.
"He's one of my best friends on the tour, so that makes it tougher," said Blake, offering to make it up to Ginepri today, his day off before playing No. 10 Fernando Gonzalez in the fourth round.
"I'll give him a call, and hopefully I can treat him to dinner or something. He's been having good luck so far at the casino. Hopefully, that will rub off on me."
Thinks Blake can advance
Ginepri, who reached the U.S. Open semifinals in 2005, thinks Blake has what it takes to go deep. Blake has twice reached the quarterfinals at majors, both at the U.S. Open.
"He's hitting the ball really clean, and hopefully can go all the way," Ginepri said.
"I told him after the match that it was his time -- he's looking at a semi or a final here."
Blake was last to qualify for last year's season-ending Masters Cup in Shanghai, China, and beat No. 2 Rafael Nadal, No. 3 Nikolay Davydenko and defending champion David Nalbandian before losing to top-ranked Roger Federer in the final.
He enters the round of 16 after successfully defending his Sydney International title last week.
"He's been doing the right things and progressing the right way ... taking a Grand Slam is the next step," Ginepri said.
Nadal and Davydenko also advanced to the fourth round with straight-sets wins, while eighth-seeded Nalbandian rallied from two sets down and saved match points to win in five again.
Gonzalez held off 2005 runner-up Lleyton Hewitt in four, ousting the last Australian in the men's and women's singles draws.
Nadal next plays 19-year-old Andy Murray of Scotland, the only player other than him to beat Federer last year.
No. 15 Murray beat Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the fourth round at his third consecutive major.
Federer seeks 33rd straight
Federer, the defending champion, plays 14th-seeded Novak Djokovic today, looking to improve his winning streak to 33 matches and move closer to his 10th Grand Slam title.
Women's defending champion Amelie Mauresmo opens play on center court against Lucie Safarova, followed by Andy Roddick-Mario Ancic and Serena Williams-Jelena Jankovic.
Rain soaked drought-ridden Melbourne Saturday, and only matches on the two main show courts went ahead, under closed roofs.
Top women advance
Top-seeded Maria Sharapova, No. 4 Kim Clijsters and No. 6 Martina Hingis wasted no time progressing.
Sharapova defeated No. 30 Tathiana Garbin 6-3, 6-1 and next plays Russia's Vera Zvonareva, who upset No. 13 Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 6-2.
Clijsters beat Alona Bondarenko 6-2, 6-2; and Hingis ousted Aiko Nakamura 6-2, 6-1. Patty Schnyder, Hingis' Swiss compatriot, also advanced, downing Australia's Alicia Molik 3-6, 6-2, 6-0.
In the morning, Rod Laver Arena was like a sauna for Sharapova's match because of an air conditioning problem.
Still, the 19-year-old Russian preferred that to her three hours in searing sun during her opening win, when she said the heat made her delusional.
Sharapova, the U.S. Open champ, lost two of her first three service games Saturday.
"I thought I was a bit slow in the beginning, was letting her play her game a little too much," she said.
"But as the match went on I saw the short balls a lot quicker, put pressure on her."
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