New York • Roger Federer is one cool customer.

The temperature climbed into the 90s yet again Thursday at Flushing Meadows, and the guy showed up for work wearing a warm-up jacket. Then he put in his 1 hour, 41 minutes on court, dismissing 104th-ranked Andreas Beck of Germany 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 with the help of 15 aces, to ease into the third round of the U.S. Open.

"It's about just saving your energy for the really big match coming up, maybe the next one," Federer said, perhaps mindful that he was pushed to five sets in the opening round at Wimbledon in June before eventually losing in the quarterfinals at a second consecutive major tournament.

He dropped all of seven games in the first round of the U.S. Open, and the owner of a record 16 Grand Slam titles is feeling pretty good about things at the moment.

"It's the perfect start, sure. I played Monday; had two days off. I had another easy one physically today, and here I am in the third round feeling like I'm completely in the tournament," said Federer, a five-time U.S. Open champion and the only man left in the field who has won it.

"I got a sense for how the court speed is again. I got the sense of the crowd and the wind now, as well. I played one night, one day," he continued. "I have all the answers after two matches."

In other words: Let everyone else sweat it out.

Like Kei Nishikori, the 147th-ranked qualifier from Japan, who fought cramps in his racket-holding right hand and elsewhere while taking 4 hours, 59 minutes to wrap up a 5-7, 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1 win over 11th-seeded Marin Cilic.

His was one of a handful of upsets on Day 4.

Beatrice Capra, an 18-year-old from Ellicott City, Md., made like 2009 U.S. Open darling Melanie Oudin and ousted No. 18-seeded Aravane Rezai of France 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.

No. 9 Agnieszka Radwanska lost to Peng Shuai, and No. 22 Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez lost to Patty Schnyder. Seeded winners included 2004 champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, 2008 runner-up Jelena Jankovic and 2010 Wimbledon finalist Vera Zvonareva. Top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki blanked 84th-ranked Chang Kai-chen 6-0, 6-0.

At 371st, Capra is the lowest-ranked woman left. She's also the youngest — and not only is she making her Grand Slam debut, but she's playing in the main draw of a tour-level event for the first time. She said she "watched every second" as Oudin, then 17, reached last year's quarterfinals.

"I really look up to Melanie," said Capra, who earned a wild card from the U.S. Tennis Association by winning an eight-entrant playoff. "You know, it was really inspiring to me." —

U.S. Open

P Today, 11 p.m.

TV • ESPN2 —

Storylines

R Roger Federer needs just 1 hour, 41 minutes to defeat Andreas Beck 6-3, 6-4, 6-3.

• American Beatrice Capra, ranked 371st, defeats No. 18- seeded Aravane Rezai 7-5, 2-6, 6-3. Capra qualified for the tournament by winning an eight-entrant playoff.