July 27, 2007	Friday	Rajab 11, 1428

INDIANAPOLIS, July 26: Top seed and two-times champion Andy Roddick moved into the last eight of the Indianapolis Championships with a 6-3 6-2 win over Russia's Evgeny Korolev on Wednesday.

The fifth-ranked American, who now has an 18-2 record in Indianapolis, continued his good form at the event that has seen him reach at least the quarter-finals in the last five years.

He won the title in 2003 and 2004, was a quarter-finalist in 2005 and a finalist last year.

Roddick was not happy with his serve during the match – his first serve percentage was a low 53 percent – but he was happy that his baseline game made up for the weakness of his biggest weapon.

The 80th-ranked Korolev hung with Roddick through the first seven games of the match before losing his serve in the eighth game of the first set.

Although Roddick struggled with his serve in the final game of the opening set – he saved one break point at 30-40 – he held on to take a one-set lead.

In the second set, Roddick seemed to gain momentum by breaking Korolev's serve in the opening game.

Roddick next plays sixth-seeded South Korean Lee Hyung-taik, who defeated Paul Goldstein of the United States 6-3, 6-3.

Earlier, Frank Dancevic became the first Canadian in six years to reach an ATP Tour quarter-final with a 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 victory over Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina.

The 109th-ranked Dancevic only learned on Friday that he would make it into the main draw.

The last Canadian to achieve at least a quarter-final berth at an ATP tournament was Sebastian Lareau, who reached the semi-finals of the 2001 Memphis tournament.

Dancevic will play Igor Kunitsyn of Russia, who had had an easy passage to the quarter-finals when fourth-seeded American Mardy Fish retired with a knee injury when the Russian was leading 6-4.

Wednesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Second round: 1-Andy Roddick (US) beat Evgeny Korolev (Russia) 6-3, 6-2; Igor Kunitsyn (Russia) beat 4-Mardy Fish (US) 6-4 – Fish retired; 6-Lee Hyung-Taik (South Korea) beat Paul Goldstein (US) 6-3, 6-3; Frank Dancevic (Canada) beat Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

TOP SEED STUNNED

UMAG (Croatia): Serbia's Viktor Troicki caused the latest upset at the Croatian Open when he rallied from a set down to overcome top seeded compatriot Novak Djokovic 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 on Wednesday, clinching a spot in the quarter-finals.

The 21-year-old qualifier belied his world ranking of 176 to overpower Djokovic in a match lasting more than two hours and will next face Argentina's Carlos Berlocq, who ousted Romania's Victor Hanescu 6-7, 6-4, 6-2.

Troicki's victory left the tournament without the top three seeds after Djokovic joined Russia's Nikolay Davydenko and Croat Ivan Ljubicic on the sidelines, the second and third seed having lost first round matches earlier in the week.

Davydenko's conqueror, France's Gilles Simon, ended home hopes of a tournament victory when he defeated the sole remaining Croat in the draw, his 7-5, 2-6, 6-3 win over Marin Cilic earning a spot in the last eight.

Simon next faces Argentine fifth seed Guillermo Canas, who registered a comfortable 6-4, 6-3 win over Spain's Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo.

The three remaining seeds – four-time winner here Carlos Moya of Spain, his compatriot David Ferrer and Italy's Filippo Volandri were attempting to book quarter-final berths on Thursday.

Wednesday’s results:

Second round: Viktor Troicki (Serbia) beat 1-Novak Djokovic (Serbia) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5; Gilles Simon (France) beat Marin Cilic (Croatia) 7-5, 2-6, 6-3; Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) beat Victor Hanescu (Romania) 6-7 (13-15), 6-4, 6-2; 5-Guillermo Canas (Argentina) beat Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (Spain) 6-4, 6-3.

BARTOLI BEATEN

STANFORD (California): Unseeded American Lilia Osterloh stunned Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the second round of the Stanford Classic on Wednesday.

The second seeded Frenchwoman's form dipped after receiving treatment for a right quadriceps problem midway through the first set, the injury leaving her moving slowly and without confidence.

While the 22-year-old Bartoli tried to keep exchanges short by ripping balls toward the lines for outright winners, she had little power on her serve and lost nearly every extended rally.

Bartoli's cause was hampered further by a bout of stomach flu that she picked up on her arrival in Stanford six days ago.

The 29-year-old Osterloh, a former NCAA champion for Stanford University, felt at home on the centre court in front of an enthusiastic group of fans.

Osterloh will face eighth seed Sybille Bammer in the quarter-finals after the Austrian overcame American Meilin Tu 6-4, 6-2.

Third seed Daniela Hantuchova also advanced with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over China's Peng Shuai.

Seventh seed Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia booked her place in the final eight with a 6-0, 7-6 triumph over Russia's Maria Kirilenko.

Wednesday’s results:

Second round: Lilia Osterloh (US) beat 2-Marion Bartoli (France) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3; 7-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) beat Maria Kirilenko

(Russia) 6-0, 7-6 (7-5); 3-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat Peng Shuai (China) 6-4, 6-2; 8-Sybille Bammer (Austria) beat Meilen Tu (US) 6-4, 6-2.—Reuters