WASHINGTON, Aug 15: A gutsy Andy Roddick saved two match points before edging out Argentine Eduardo Schwank 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 to reach the quarter-finals of the Washington Classic on Thursday.

Schwank led the defending champion 5-4 in the third set and 40-15 on his own serve but double-faulted on the second of them as the American broke back and then won the tiebreak 7-2 to advance after two hours, 42 minutes.

Roddick will next play Serbian Viktor Troicki, who reached his second quarter-final of the year with a 6-4, 1-6, 6-4 win over American Bobby Reynolds.

“You probably don’t want to go two match points down, but I probably needed a tough match like this,” Roddick told reporters. “It’s been a little bit since I toughed one of those out, so hopefully in the long run it will end up being a good thing.”

In relatively cool, overcast conditions, Roddick was made to work overtime before scrambling past an inspired Schwank, converting only three of 16 break points in the process.

A clay-courter in style but seemingly at home on hard courts, Schwank has risen up the rankings from 171st at the start of the year to 56th.

He broke to lead 3-2 after an errant Roddick backhand and frustrated the American further by saving seven break points in an epic sixth game, holding serve thanks to a sublime angled volley to lead 4-2.

Roddick had chances to break back for 5-5 but Schwank saved his ninth break point of the set before closing it out after 67 minutes.

More break points came and went for Roddick at the start of the second set and games stayed on serve until the 10th game when he finally broke through the Argentine’s resistance to level the match.

This time it was Roddick’s turn to save a break point, in the opening game of the decider, and when he broke in the fourth game on the way to a 4-1 lead, the match looked over.

But Schwank hit back, breaking in the seventh game and then again in the ninth to lead 5-4.

Serving for the match, Schwank squandered one match point and then double-faulted on the second, before the American snatched the break back to level and eventually clinch the tiebreak.

Indian qualifier Somdev Devvarman continued his surprise run with a 6-2, 6-7, 7-5 win over Robert Kendrick, for his second win on the ATP Tour.

Devvarman will now play Russian Igor Kunitsyn, who saved a match point in the final-set tiebreak to beat Fabio Fognini of Italy 2-6, 6-2, 7-6.

Thursday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Second round: Igor Kunitsyn (Russia) bt Fabio Fognini (Italy) 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6); Somdev Dev Varman (India) bt Robert Kendrick (US) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5; 1-Andy Roddick (US) bt Eduardo Schwank (Argentina) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-2); Viktor Troicki (Serbia) bt Bobby Reynolds (US) 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

MAURESMO IN LAST EIGHT

CINCINNATI (Ohio): Former world No 1 Amelie Mauresmo took another step forward on her latest comeback from injury with a 6-3m 6-1 win over Belgian Yanina Wickmayer to reach the quarter-finals of the Cincinnati Open on Thursday.

In her first tournament since Wimbledon, the Frenchwoman showed glimpses of her best form as she set up a clash with American Vania King, who beat compatriot and wildcard entry Jamea Jackson 6-1, 6-4.

King’s win over Jackson put her into the last eight of a WTA Tour event for the first time this year.

Results:

Second round: 5-Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) 6-3, 6-1; Vania King (US) bt Jamea Jackson (US) 6-1, 6-4; 6-Aleksandra Wozniak (Canada) bt Julia Vakulenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-3.—Reuters