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LOS ANGELES, Aug 1: Fifth seed Mark Philippoussis knocked out local favourite Michael Chang 6-2 6-4 on Thursday to march into the quarter-finals of the $380,000 Mercedes-Benz Cup.
Philippoussis, beaten by Swiss Roger Federer in the final of Wimbledon earlier this month, was too powerful for American Chang, who grew up playing on the Southern California junior circuit.
In other second-round matches, second seed Sebastien Grosjean of France swept aside American Robby Ginepri 6-2 6-3.
Fourth seed Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil put out American Eric Taino 6-3 7-6 while seventh seed Wayne Ferreira of South Africa defeated American Alex Bogomolov Jr 7-6 6-3.
Results (prefix number denotes seeding):
Second round: 4-Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil) beat Eric Taino (U.S.) 6-3 7-6 (7-5); 5-Mark Philippoussis (Australia) beat Michael Chang (U.S.) 6-2 6-4; 7-Wayne Ferreira (South Africa) beat Alex Bogomolov Jnr (U.S.) 7-6 (7-1) 6-3; 2-Sebastien Grosjean (France) beat Robby Ginepri (U.S.) 6-2 6-3
RODDICK WINS
WASHINGTON: Second seed Andy Roddick defeated Britain’s Greg Rusedski 6-3 7-6 in their first meeting since last month’s explosive clash at Wimbledon to reach the fourth round of the $600,000 Washington Classic on Thursday.
World number one Andre Agassi also progressed, charging past Armenia’s Sargis Sargsian 6-3 6-2 in 58 minutes to take his career record to 6-0 against his regular practice partner.
Rusedski let rip with a string of expletives as he questioned the umpire’s decision during their second-round match at Wimbledon but there were no verbal fireworks this time — only power tennis from two of the game’s hardest hitters.
Roddick saved three break points in the opening game of the match and broke Rusedski in the next game for the only service break of the night.
In the second set tie break, Roddick led 4-3 on serve when he thumped a backhand passing shot that left his opponent motionless at the net. The American went on to claim the tie break 7-4 to close out the match.
Rusedski was 5-2 up in the third set at Wimbledon when he believed the umpire should have replayed a point after a spectator called a ball out. Roddick ultimately won the point and, after the Briton’s meltdown, the match 7-6 7-6 7-5.
Top seed Agassi, gunning for his sixth Washington title, opened the second set by breaking Sargsian to love to essentially seal his opponent’s fate.
In other matches, American Mardy Fish, the 11th seed, stunned fifth-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia 6-4 3-6 6-3 and third seed Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand beat American Brian Vahaly 7-6 6-4.
Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez, the fourth seed, knocked out Mario Ancic of Croatia 7-5 7-6.
Results:
Third round: Andre Agassi (USA x1) bt Sargis Sargsian (ARM) 6-3, 6-2; Andy Roddick (USA x2) bt Greg Rusedski (GBR) 6-3, 7-6 (7/4); Paradorn Srichaphan (THA x3) bt Brian Vahaly (USA) 7-6 (7/3), 6-4; Fernando Gonzalez (CHI x4) bt Mario Ancic (CRO) 7-5, 7-6 (7/5); Mardy Fish (USA) bt Yevgeny Kafelnikov (RUS x5) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; James Blake (USA x6) bt Lars Burgsmuller (GER) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4; Max Mirnyi (BLR x7) bt Mike Bryan (USA) 6-1, 6-3; Tim Henman (GBR) bt Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x8) 6-3, 6-4
STRUGGLE FOR HENIN
CARLSBAD (California): French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne had to call on all her reserves on Thursday to beat 13th seed Elena Dementieva 4-6 6-4 6-1 to reach the quarter-finals of the $1 million Acura Classic.
Second seed Kim Clijsters of Belgium thrashed French teenager Marion Bartoli 6-1 6-1 and now faces unseeded American Lisa Raymond, who toppled former French and Australian Open champion Mary Pierce 7-6 6-4.
Third seed Henin-Hardenne lost the first set and had to rally from a 4-2 deficit in the second to halt Dementieva’s charge.
The Russian needed seven set points to win the first set, finally clinching it when Henin-Hardenne attempted an ill-timed drop shot.
But Dementieva was a spent force after going 4-2 up in the second set and Henin-Hardenne took advantage by reeling off the next eight games.
After Henin-Hardenne took the second set when she forced the Russian into a forehand error, the players were given a 10-minute heat break. Dementieva then wilted in the third.
Sixth seed Chanda Rubin of the U.S. survived a stern test from ninth seed Jelena Dokic to win 1-6 6-3 6-4, while Russian Nadia Petrova overwhelmed seventh seed Daniela Hantuchova 6-1 6-3 to set up a quarter-final against Henin-Hardenne.
French Open semi-finalist Petrova was lethal, cracking 25 winners to only 11 from the slim Slovakian to follow up in style her victory over 12th seed Amanda Coetzer in the second round.
Russian Elena Likhovtseva upset 10th seed Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria 6-4 6-3 while Russian teenager Svetlana Kuznetsova put out fellow countrywoman and 16th seed Elena Bovina 7-6 6-2.
Results:
Third round: 4-Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) beat Lina Krasnoroutskaya (Russia) 6-0 7-6 (7-2); 2-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) beat Marion Bartoli (France) 6-1 6-1; 3-Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) beat 13-Elena Dementieva (Russia) 4-6 6-4 6-1; 6-Chanda Rubin (U.S.) beat 9-Jelena Dokic (Yugoslavia) 1-6 6-3 6-4; Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) beat 10-Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) 6-4 6-3; Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat 16-Elena Bovina (Russia) 7-6 (7-4) 6-2; Lisa Raymond (U.S.) beat Mary Pierce (France) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4; Nadia Petrova (Russia) beat 7-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 6-1 6-3.—Reuters/AFP
