Roger Federer on track for first Italian Open triumph

Roger Federer has successfully got his quest for a first Italian Open title underway by seeing off Pablo Cuevas in straight sets this evening.

The second seed required a tie-break to overcome his opponent in a tightly-contested opening set, but he comfortably prevailed 7-3 to open up his path into the third round.

Federer was able to hold throughout the second set, also, and having broken his opponent's serve in the fifth game the Swiss had little trouble wrapping things up 7-6(3) 6-4 in Rome.

Kevin Anderson now awaits in the next round, with a place in the quarter-finals up for grabs.