LONDON, June 15: Champion Andy Roddick's bid for an unprecedented fourth successive Stella Artois title got off to a stuttering start with a 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Canadian qualifier Frank Dancevic on Wednesday.
Three days after capturing a second French Open title, top seed Rafael Nadal made a seamless transition to grass and joined Roddick in the third round.
Wednesday’s results:
Second round: 8-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat Fernando Vicente (Spain) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; Max Mirnyi (Belarus) beat Daniele Bracciali (Italy) 6-1, 6-3; Mark Philippoussis (Australia) beat 11-Sebastien Grosjean (France) 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-3; Yeu-Tzuoo Wang (Taiwan) beat 4-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1; 15-Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) beat Danai Udomchoke (Thailand) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2; 7-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat Nicolas Mahut (France) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2; 1-Rafael Nadal (Spain) beat Mardy Fish (US) 7-6 (7-1), 6-1; 9-Robby Ginepri (US) beat Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia and Montenegro) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4; 6-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Antony Dupuis (France) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-2); 13-Gael Monfils (France) beat Bobby Reynolds (US) 6-1, 6-2; Tim Henman (Britain) beat Ramon Delgado (Paraguay) 6-2, 6-4; Fernando Verdasco (Spain) beat Hyung-Taik Lee (South Korea) 6-2, 5-7, 6-4; 16-Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) beat Yen-Hsun Lu (Taiwan) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4; 2-Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) beat Razvan Sabau (Romania) 7-6 (8-6), 6-2; 3-Andy Roddick (US) beat Frank Dancevic (Canada) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3.
First round: Mirnyi beat 10-Thomas Johansson (Sweden) 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 7-6 (7-4); Philippoussis beat Wesley Moodie (South Africa) 6-3, 6-4; Grosjean beat Ivo Minar (Czech Republic) 6-3 7-6 (7-4); Wang beat Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) 6-3, 6-3; Tipsarevic beat Andy Murray (Britain) 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-2.
BIRMINGHAM: Former Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova made a comfortable start to the grasscourt season on Wednesday with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over American qualifer Ahsha Rolle at the Edgbaston tournament.
Results:
Second round: 13-Na Li (China) beat Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 7-6 (9-7), 6-3; Lisa Raymond (US) beat 15-Samantha Stosur (Australia) 4-6, 6-1, 7-6; Ayumi Morita (Japan) beat 9-Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) 6-4, 6-3; 4-Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) beat Olga Poutchkova (Russia) 6-2, 6-2; Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) beat Zi Yan (China) 7-5, 7-5; Meilen Tu (US) beat Lilia Osterloh (US) 6-0, 7-6 (8-6); Vera Zvonareva (Russia) beat Martina Sucha (Slovakia) 6-1, 6-2; 6-Marion Bartoli (France) beat Bethanie Mattek (US) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Jamea Jackson (US) beat Sarah Borwell (Britain) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5); 2-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Maria Vento-Kabchi (Venezuela) 6-0, 4-6, 6-1; 7-Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) beat Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Switzerland) 6-4, 6-4; 1-Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat Ahsha Rolle (US) 6-4, 6-2; 14-Sania Mirza (India) beat Shenay Perry (US) 7-5, 6-7,(9-7), 6-3; 12-Mara Santangelo (Italy) beat Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-3, 6-3; 5-Ai Sugiyama (Japan) beat Jarmila Gajdosova (Slovakia) 6-2, 6-3; 8-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia and Montenegro) beat Shuai Peng (China) 6-2, 6-1.—Reuters