Roger Federer settled a score with his bogey player Guillermo Canas on Tuesday, easing his way into the third round of the Rome Masters with a 6-3 victory.

Roger Federer returns a shot during his game against Guillermo Canas in the second round of the Rome Masters. Federer won the game 6-3, 6-3. (Photo: Sina.com)

Canas went into the game as one of the few players on the tour to hold a winning record against the world number one, but Tuesday's result evens things up at three victories apiece.

Federer made an assured start, breaking Canas in the middle of the first set before producing two aces and a delightful drop shot to hold his serve to love at the end of it.

The Argentine came closest to breaking his opponent in the sixth game of the second set, when Federer was lucky to save a break point with a net-cord winner.

Federer, beaten finalist here in 2003 and 2006, never looked back, breaking Canas's serve twice in the last three games.

"The draw was tough with Guillermo in the second round. We've had some tough ones in the past and I knew it was going to be difficult," Federer told a news conference.

Roger Federer returns a shot during his game against Guillermo Canas in the second round of the Rome Masters. Federer won the game 6-3, 6-3. (Photo: Sina.com)

"I played well. I felt I was in the groove right away again from Monaco. It was a good match to start off the Rome campaign and I hope I can move on from here."

Federer reached the Monte Carlo Masters final in Monaco last month, losing to his main rival Spaniard Rafael Nadal.

(Agencies via China Daily May 7, 2008)