TENNIS in DEPTH.

Top-seeded Roger Federer, third-seeded Novak Djokovic and No. 6 seed Nikolay Davydenko were straight-set winners in third-round action at the 2010 Australian Open on Saturday.

Federer, seeking his 16th major title, defeated 31st-seeded Spaniard Albert Montanes, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, while Djokovic, who titled here two years ago, pasted Uzbekistan’s Denis Istomin, 6-1, 6-1, 6-2.

The three-time Aussie Open champ Federer will face the  22nd-seeded Lleyton Hewitt.

Federer has now made it through to the round of 16 of every grand slam since losing in the third round of the 2004 French Open.

In the fourth round, Djokovic will battle Pole Lukasz Kubot, who was a walkover winner over No. 20 Mikhail Youzhny due to the Russian’s wrist injury.

Davydenko needed just one-hour, 49-minutes to get by 30th-seeded Argentine Juan Monaco, 6-0, 6-3, 6-4. The Russian will next face No. 9 seed Fernando Verdasco, who was ahead 6-1 before Austrian Stefan Koubek retired from their match.

Another high-profile match on Saturday pits 10th-seeded 2008 Aussie Open runner-up Jo-Wilfried Tsonga against 18th-seeded German Tommy Haas.

The winner of that match will meet 26th-seed Nicolas Almagro, a 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 winner over Alejandro Falla in third-round play.

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