Melbourne, Australia: Third-seeded David Ferrer overcame a slow start to beat Adrian Mannarino of France 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-0, 6-3 in a second-round match Wednesday at the Australian Open.
Ferrer trailed 3-0 in the opening set before rallying in the tiebreaker, then fell behind 4-1 in the second before taking control in the final two sets.
Mannarino appeared to be more adversely affected by the hot temperatures and had a visit from the tournament doctor in the fourth set.
Ferrer is three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic's main threat in the bottom half of the draw, with top-seeded Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer all playing in the other half.
The Spanish baseliner has lost to Djokovic in the last two Australian Opens, in the semifinals last year and the 2012 quarterfinals.
