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| June 14, 2007 | Thursday | Jamadi-ul-Awwal 28, 1428 |
Blake strolls ahead but Aisam loses
HALLE (Germany), June 13: Third seed James Blake made light work of his second-round win over Russian Evgeny Korolev to book his quarter-final spot at the Halle Open tournament on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old did not drop serve in his 7-5, 6-1 win and after a close first set, the American breezed through the second, dazzling his opponent with an impressive array of shots.
Blake will face German No 1 Philipp Kohlschreiber in the last eight for a place in the semi-finals and looks to be on a collision course to meet top-seed Russian Nikolay Davydenko in the last four.
Kohlschreiber, who won the ATP tournament in Munich last month, reached the quarter-finals with a comfortable straight sets win over Pakistani qualifier Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, who knocked out fifth seed Richard Gasquet on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old wrapped up a 6-4, 6-3 win in impressive fashion against the plucky Pakistani, ranked 270 places below him and who had to have treatment for a back injury at the start of the second set.
Earlier in the day, fourth-seeded Tomas Berdych had to overcome a late fightback by Frenchman Fabrice Santoro to be the first player to reach the quarter-finals at Halle.
The 21-year-old Czech, who lost to Roger Federer in last year's final, beat Santoro 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) and will now face the winner of Wednesday's second-round tie between German Simon Stadler and sixth-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny.
Wednesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):
Second round: 3-James Blake (US) beat Evgeny Korolev (Russia) 7-5, 6-1; Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) beat Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi (Pakistan) 6-4, 6-3; 4-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Fabrice Santoro (France) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).
Tuesday’s remaining results:
First round: Marc Gicquel (France) beat 5-David Nalbandian (Argentina) 5-7, 6-2, 6-4; Kohlschreiber beat Raemon Sluiter
(Netherlands) 7-6 (7-5), 7-5; 2-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Juergen Melzer (Austria) 7-6 (7-6), 4-6, 6-2.
LONDON: Three-time former champion Andy Roddick put the dark days of clay behind him on Tuesday to record a confident 6-4, 6-4 second-round victory over Radek Stepanek on the grass at Queen's.
The American second seed, ignominiously defeated in the first round of the French Open two weeks ago, delighted in the speed of the slick surface, hammering down 12 aces.
Stepanek, no slouch himself on grass having reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon last year, tried to serve and volley but often found himself stranded at the net by some fine Roddick passes.
Britain's Tim Henman, three times a finalist and at 32 playing his 14th Queen's tournament, failed to ignite the crowd, bowing out 7-6, 2-6, 6-4 in the first round to another 18-year-old, Croatian wildcard Marin Cilic.
Cilic's rather more experienced compatriot fifth seed Ivan Ljubicic, 28, also warmed to the grass, which suits his big serve, with a 6-3, 6-4 second-round victory over Danai Udomchoke of Thailand.
Tuesday’s results:
First round: Gael Monfils (France) beat Igor Andreev (Russia) 6-3 6-4; Florent Serra (France) beat Amer Delic (US) 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-4; Marin Cilic (Croatia) beat Tim Henman (Britain) 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, 6-4; Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) beat 9-Mardy Fish (US) 6-3, 6-4; Frank Dancevic (Canada) beat Sergio Roitman (Argentina) 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1; Robert Kendrick (US) beat Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (10-8); Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) beat Kristian Pless (Denmark) 7-6 (7-2), 6-0; Sebastien Grosjean (France) beat Michael Berrer (Germany) 6-4, 6-2.
Second round: 2-Andy Roddick (U.S.) beat Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 6-4, 6-4; 5-Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) beat Danai Udomchoke (Thailand) 6-3, 6-4.
BIRMINGHAM: Li Na overcame a sluggish start to defeat Yaroslava Shvedova 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 in the second round of the Birmingham Classic on Tuesday.
Li, who became the first Chinese player to reach the quarter-finals of a major at Wimbledon last year, struggled early against the Russian teenager. But she found her stride in the second set, winning 11 of the last 12 games in her first match on grass this year.
The fourth-seeded Li had a bye in the first round.
Two seeded players lost in first-round play, as No 11 Olga Poutschkova was upset 6-0, 6-0 against Angelique Kerber of Germany, and No 10 Severine Bremond was defeated 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 by Alicia Molik.
Tuesday’s results:
Second round: 3-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat Olga Govortsova (Belarus) 6-2, 6-4; 4-Li Na (China) beat Yaroslava Shvedova (Russia) 4-6, 6-2, 6-0; 15-Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) beat Casey Dell'Acqua (Australia) 6-4, 6-4; 16-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) beat Nathalie Dechy (France) 5-7, 6-2, 6-0; Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) beat 12-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) 7-5, 7-6 (7-4).
First round: Tamira Paszek (Austria) beat Anne Keothavong (Britain) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; Alicia Molik (Australia) beat 10-Severine Bremond (France) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Chan Yung-Jan (Taiwan) beat Jamea Jackson (US) 6-3, 6-1; Milagros Sequera (Venezuela) beat Elena Baltacha (Britain) 6-4, 1-6, 7-5; Vania King (US) beat Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (Netherlands) 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (9-7); Angelique Kerber (Germany) beat 11-Olga Poutchkova (Russia) 6-0, 6-0; Ayumi Morita (Japan) beat Jill Craybas (US) 6-4, 6-1; Naomi Cavaday (Britain) beat Vasilisa Bardina (Russia) 6-2, 6-1.—Agencies
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