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Roger Federer of Switzerland returns the ball to Devin Britton of the United States during the men's singles first round match at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, August 31, 2009. Federer won 3-0.[Xinhua/Shen Hong]
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Roger Federer, chasing a sixth straight U.S. Open title, a feat not achieved by a man since Bill Tilden way back in the 1920s, overwhelmed American wild card Devin Britton, 6-1, 6-3, 7-5, in 88 minutes in the first round.
"It was a good start to the tournament for me," Federer said. "I didn't drop a set, and you know, tricky match for me. Playing a guy who's got absolutely nothing to lose."
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Roger Federer of Switzerland waves to the audience after winning over Devin Britton of the United States during the men's singles first round match at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, August 31, 2009. Federer won 3-0.[Xinhua/Shen Hong]
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It's 35 straight wins for the Swiss star in New York, and one step closer to emulating Tilden.
"That's what I'm here for, trying to equal Bill Tilden's record," Federer said. "But I've never met him, never saw him play, so it' s hard to kind of relate to him in any way, except through records. "
Things figure to be quick for Federer in the second round. His opponent, 65th-ranked German Simon Greul, needed 3 1/2 hours and a fifth-set tiebreak to oust Ecuador's Giovanni Lapentti.
