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LOS ANGELES, July 20: American Vince Spadea celebrated his 33rd birthday with a dramatic fight-back to beat Russian fifth seed Dmitry Tursunov 6-7, 7-5, 6-3 in second round of the Los Angeles Classic on Thursday.
After losing the opening set 7-5 on a tiebreak, Spadea trailed 3-5 on the Russian’s serve in the second before clawing his way back into the match in searing heat at the Los Angeles Tennis Centre.
He took advantage of two double-faults by Tursunov to break his opponent before winning the next three games to level the match at one-set all. Spadea broke again in the fifth and ninth games of the final set to seal victory in two hours and 20 minutes.
Spadea will meet compatriot James Blake in the quarter-finals after the second seed beat Paul Goldstein 6-0, 1-6, 7-5 in the last match on the stadium court.
Blake raced through the opening set in under half an hour before Goldstein followed suit in the second.
After Blake saved a match point at 30-40 in the 10th game of the final set, he immediately broke his opponent before firing down three successive aces to secure the win.
Czech Radek Stepanek ousted sixth-seeded wildcard Mardy Fish of the US 6-2, 6-2. Stepanek broke Fish twice in each set to breeze through in just over an hour. The Czech will meet little-known American Zach Fleishman in the last eight.
Fleishman continued his dream run with a 7-6, 6-3 victory over fellow American Robert Kendrick to reach his first ATP quarter-final.
Results (second round): James Blake (US x2) bt Paul Goldstein (US) 6-0, 1-6, 7-5; Radek Stepanek (CZE) bt Mardy Fish (US x6) 6-2, 6-2; Vince Spadea (US) bt Dmitry Tursunov (Russia x5) 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3; Zack Fleishman (US) bt Robert Kendrick (US) 7-6(4), 6-3.
STUTTGART (Germany): World number two Rafael Nadal survived an injury scare to make the quarter-finals at Stuttgart’s ATP tournament on Thursday with a straight-set win over local hero Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Nadal had to be treated for a knee injury early in his 6-3, 6-3 win over the German.
The biggest upset of the day came when third seed Tomas Berdych was dumped out of the second round in straight sets by Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, ranked 74 places below him, who took just over 50 minutes to beat the world number ten 6-0, 6-3.
Results (second round): Juan Monaco (ARG x8) bt Stefan Koubek (AUT) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP x6) bt Diego Hartfield (ARG) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3; Rafael Nadal (ESP x1) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-3, 6-3; Feliciano Lopez (ESP) bt Tomas Berdych (CZE x3) 6-0, 6-3.
AMERSFOORT (The Netherlands): Third seed Carlos Moya brushed aside Mariano Zabaleta 6-2, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the Amersfoort Open on Thursday.
Moya converted three of the four breakpoints he earned to complete his win in 62 minutes.
Results (second round): Carlos Moya (ESP x3) bt Mariano Zabaleta (ARG) 6-2, 6-3; Igor Andreev (RUS) bt Filippo Volandri (ITA x4) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; Steve Darcis (BEL) bt Gilles Simon (FRA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-1; Werner Eschauer (AUT) bt Raemon Sluiter (NED) 6-2, 6-4.
CINCINNATI (Ohio): Second-seeded Patty Schnyder booked her quarter-final berth at the 175,000-dollar WTA hardcourt tournament on Thursday with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over Dutch veteran Brenda Schultz-McCarthy.
Results (second round): Patty Schnyder (SUI x2) bt Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (NED) 6-2, 6-3; Elena Vesnina (RUS x6) bt Yuan Meng (CHN) 6-1, 6-4; Olga Govortsova (BLR) bt Jill Craybas (US x9) 6-7 (5/7), 6-3, 6-1; Akgul Amanmuradova (UZB) bt Bethanie Mattek (US) 2-6, 7-5, 7-6, (7/4).—Agencies
