Roger Federer

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP):

ROGER FEDERER reckons the 4 1/2 hours that he spent struggling to survive at the Australian Open might turn a few of his hairs gray.

Lleyton Hewitt spent enough time on court to feel the same way, setting a record for the latest finish for a day's play at a Grand Slam when he beat 2006 runner-up Marcos Baghdatis 4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-3 at 4:33 a.m. Sunday (Melbourne time).

Hewitt and Baghdatis went on court at 11:47 p.m. on Saturday night, the last scheduled match on Rod Laver Arena on Day Six, and Hewitt ripped a forehand winner on his fifth match point, four hours and 45 minutes later.

There was never a letup in the tension. Starting when Federer was forced repeatedly to rally from behind before outlasting 49th-ranked Janko Tipsarevic 6-7 (5), 7-6 (1), 5-7, 6-1,10-8 to advance to the fourth round of the tournament he has won the last two years. That pushed the night session back by two hours.

Venus wins

Venus Williams beat Sania Mirza in straight sets in the first night session match and then Hewitt was up two sets to one and 5-1 in the fourth when things started to go wrong. He wasted one match point in the eighth game of that set and three more in the ninth game of the fifth before he broke Baghdatis to finish off the day.

"It wasn't easy for both of us. Obviously, an incredible day of tennis. For Roger Federer to go five sets, how often does that happen?" Hewitt said. "It's tough for everyone. Marcos and I are in the same boat."

Hewitt next plays, No. 3 Novak Djokovic, who beat American Sam Querrey 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.

Aces

Federer, seeking his 13th Grand Slam crown, needed every one of his personal best 39 aces - 14 more than his previous mark in one match - to fend off the third-round challenge from the 2001 Australian Open junior champion.

"I don't often get to play five-setters unless they're against Nadal at Wimble-don," Federer said of his rivalry with long-time No. 2-ranked Rafael Nadal. "It was good to be part of something like this. It's a pity you can't have draws in tennis."

He beat Nadal in five sets in the Wimbledon final last year.

James Blake, seeded 12th, came back from down two sets, then from a double break in the fourth before beating veteran French-man Sebastien Grosjean 4-6, 2-6, 6-0, 7-6 (5), 6-2.

"That's got to be my biggest comeback," Blake said. "Couldn't have been a better feeling."

Seventh-seeded Fernando Gon-zalez, who lost the final here last year to Federer, was ousted 6-2, 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-1 by Croatia's Marin Cilic, who had never gone past the first round in three previous majors. Cilic, who called it his best performance, faces Blake next.

Two of Russia's top 10 women also were ousted.