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NEWPORT (Rhode Island), July 12: Pakistani qualifier Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi continued to impress on Wednesday, booking a quarter-final berth in the Hall of Fame Championships.
Aisam, ranked 214th in the world, opened his campaign in the grasscourt tournament with a bang, eliminating top seed Mardy Fish in straight sets on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, he followed up with a 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-4 victory over Nathan Healey of Australia.
Unseeded Dick Norman of Belgium awaits Aisam in the quarter-finals after ousting eighth-seeded Michael Berrer of Germany 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (8-6).
This will be the first meeting between the two.
Second-seeded American Vince Spadea bidding to return to the final here after a first-round ouster last year, advanced with a 6-3, 7-5 second-round victory over Chile's Paul Capdeville.
Spadea reached the final here in 2005 before falling to Greg Rusedski of Britain. However, he followed up that effort with a disappointing opening-round exit here last year, losing to fellow American Robert Kendrick in three sets.
Next up for Spadea is South African veteran Wesley Moodie, who beat Roko Karanusic of Croatia 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
The final match of the first round was also completed on Wednesday as fourth-seeded Fabrice Santoro of France defeated Alexander Peya of Austria 6-4, 6-1.
Santoro will meet unseeded Frank Dancevic of Canada in the second round.
The two have faced each other only once, with Santoro earning a straight-sets hardcourt victory at Toronto in 2002.
Wednesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):
Second round: 2-Vince Spadea (US) beat Paul Capdeville (Chile) 6-3, 7-5; Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi (Pakistan) beat Nathan Healey (Australia) 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-4; Wesley Moodie (South Africa) beat Roko Karanusic (Croatia) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2; Dick Normal (Belgium) beat 8-Michael Berrer (Germany) 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6, (8-6).
First round: 4-Fabrice Santoro (France) beat Alexander Peya (Austria) 6-4, 6-1.
BASTAD (Sweden): Filippo Volandri booked his place in the Swedish Open quarter-finals on Wednesday, overcoming a tough challenge by Russian qualifier Yuri Schukin to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
The Italian fifth seed needed one hour 50 minutes to oust Schukin, who had beaten twice former winner Mariano Zabaleta in the previous round.
In the last eight Volandri takes on Belgian Olivier Rochus, who defeated Czech Lukas Dlouhy 6-4, 7-5.
The Italian took advantage of Schukin's cautious groundstrokes to break the Russian for 3-1 and then held his service games to win the decider 6-3.
The 25-year-old Volandri reached the fourth round of the French Open and the Rome Masters semi-finals on home turf, where he beat world No 1 Roger Federer.
Spanish hope Nicolas Almagro disposed of eighth-seeded Swede Jonas Bjorkman 6-4, 6-2 to reach the quarter-finals.
The 35-year-old Bjorkman, a doubles specialist, was rarely allowed to the net by the Spaniard, who next plays Luis Horna.
Peru's Horna, who beat top seed and holder Tommy Robredo in the opening round, got past Argentina's Carlos Berlocq 6-3, 7-6.
Wednesday’s results:
Second round: Luis Horna (Peru) beat Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5); Nicolas Almagro (Spain) beat 8-Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) 6-4, 6-2; 5-Filippo Volandri (Italy) beat Yuri Schukin (Russia) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; Olivier Rochus (Belgium) beat Lukas Dlouhy (Czech Republic) 6-4, 7-5.
GSTAAD (Switzerland): Russian top seeds Nikolay Davydenko and Mikhail Youzhny both suffered first-round exits on Wednesday as persistent rain continued to dog the Swiss Open.
Davydenko, the world No 5, bowed out in just 12 minutes after resuming his rain-interrupted match against 20-year-old Frenchman Gael Monfils with the pair tied at 5-5 in the deciding set.
The Russian first seed had beaten Monfils at Wimbledon last Tuesday in a third-round match also held over by rain, but was unable to repeat the feat in Gstaad and was beaten 3-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Youzhny suffered a surprise 6-4, 6-3 loss at the hands of Austrian world No 65 Stefan Koubek.
The world No 14, who came to Gstaad on a run of good form including a win in Rotterdam, finals in Munich and Dubai and at least the quarter-finals at four other tournaments, failed to convert any of nine break points.
French third seed Richard Gasquet was never in danger of a similar upset, staying on course to defend the title he won here last year with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Spanish world No 93 Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-3, 6-4.
For a second day running, organisers were forced to move part of the singles programme on to spare courts at a nearby sports centre in an effort to get back on schedule.
Wednesday’s results:
Second round: Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) beat 4-Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 7-5, 6-3; 6-Marc Gicquel (France) beat Werner Eschauer (Austria) 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).
First round: Nicolas Lapentti (Ecuador) beat Jose Acasuso (Argentina) 7-5, 6-1; Martin Vassallo Arguello (Argentina) beat 7-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 7-5, 1-6, 6-4; Jiri Vanek (Czech Republic) beat Florent Serra (France) 6-4, 6-1; Andreas Seppi (Italy) beat Bartolome Salva (Spain) 6-4, 6-0; Gael Monfils (France) beat 1-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 3-6, 6-4, 7-5; Igor Andreev (Russia) beat Albert Montanes (Spain) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; 3-Richard Gasquet (France) beat Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (Spain) 6-3, 6-4; Stefan Koubek (Austria) beat 2-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 6-4, 6-3.—Agencies
