<div><p>Top seed and defending champion Roger Federer reached the last 16 of the US Open on Saturday, rebounding from a sluggish start to defeat Australia's Lleyton Hewitt 4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.</p><p>The win, which assures Federer of retaining the world No 1 status no matter who wins the title here, means he will play either American James Blake or Tommy Robredo of Spain for a place in the quarter-finals.</p><p>But it was far from vintage Federer as he looked listless and unfocussed at times against an aggressive Hewitt who was looking to end a 13-game losing streak against the world No. 1 dating to the 2004 Australian Open.</p><p>Hewitt, clawing his way back up the rankings after falling out of the world top 100 in February, had the first look at a break when he went 40-love up on Federer's second service game.</p><p>Five straight points from the Swiss star dismantled that threat and three games later Federer showed how it was done by converting his first break point to take a 4-2 lead.</p><p>The five-time defending champion was coasting at 40-0 in the following game, but a couple of loose shots let Hewitt back into the game and another misdirected forehand gifted him the break back.</p><p>Unusually, Federer was playing under the hot midday sun in the first match up on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court and it did not appear to agree with him as he served up another sloppy game to give Hewitt a second break.</p><p>The Australian then clinched the set on serve thanks to three more unforced errors from Federer. It was the first set he had taken off him in two years.</p><p>Federer, though, started to right his ship at the start of the second set and ominously broke to love in the fourth game and then held his own serve to love to take a 4-1 lead.</p><p>Hewitt had a break point with Federer serving for the set at 5-3, but hit a backhand marginally long and then a fortunate netcord and a strong first serve from the world No. 1 levelled the set scores.</p><p>A stabbed backhand volley into the net gave Hewitt a break point in the second game of the third set but he over-hit his forehand return on the next point and Federer held on.</p><p>Federer needed to save three more break points two games later as he continued to struggle with his normally deadly forehand.</p><p>But against the run of play it was Federer who made the vital breakthrough in the 11th game when Hewitt started to make unforced errors under increased pressure from the Swiss player.</p><p>He then served out for a two sets to one lead and then, with Hewitt's game beginning to unravel, he grabbed the remaining break he needed to open the fourth set.</p><p>A consummate front-runner, Federer raced away to clinch his 38th straight win at the US Open, including one walkover, since he lost to David Nalbandian in the fourth round in 2003.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=58117859&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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