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Sharapova, Djokovic easy winners Friday at U.S. Open

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NEW YORK -- Defending men’s champion Novak Djokovic needed only 1 hour and 39 minutes to move into the third round of the U.S. Open with a 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 win over Rogerio Dutra Silva of Brazil while third-seeded Maria Sharapova also breezed through her third-round match, a win over Stanford senior Mallory Burdette, 6-1, 6-1, on Friday.

Djokovic, who had played on a windy night in his first match, said he was pleased with how he handled the transition to a hot midday match.

“Different conditions today,” Djokovic said. “And I didn’t know much about my opponent. I’d never seen him play. But I played well from start to end.”

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Djokovic also spoke eloquently about the impending retirement of 2003 U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick, who had announced Thursday that after he is finished with this tournament he will retire.

“Andy’s situation just shows how quickly everything can turn around,” Djokovic said. “I listented to his press conference yesterday. I admired his career. He was one of the greatest competitors around. Probably the biggest serve ever. He made a history in our sport.

“The great thing he said yesterday is that he wants to continue on his legacy of playing tennis and try to transfer that knowledge to somebody that is coming up and needs help from such a champion.”

Roddick said he will have a tennis academy in his home of Austin, Texas.

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