NOTTINGHAM, June 14: Twice champion Jonas Bjorkman eased into the second round of the Nottingham Open with little fuss on Monday, beating Pakistan's top-ranked player Aisamul Haq Qureshi at the Wimbledon warm-up event.
Third seed Bjorkman, these days predominantly a doubles specialist but still no slouch on the singles court, eased through 7-6, 6-3. Second seed Mardy Fish withdrew from the tournament with a recurring hip injury, however.
The world number 18 lost to Roger Federer in the final of the Gerry Weber Open in Halle on Sunday and had been due to play Romania's Victor Hanescu in the first round on Tuesday.
His place in the draw will be taken by a lucky loser from qualifying. Bjorkman was joined by American Jan-Michael Gambill in the second round. Gambill cruised past South Africa's Wesley Moodie 6-4, 6-2 at the City of Nottingham Tennis Centre.
The American will next face Hicham Arazi after the seventh-seeded Moroccan beat British qualifier Lee Childs 6-3, 6-3. Sweden's Robin Soderling struggled past Spain's David Ferrer 7-6, 3-6, 6-2 while fifth-seeded American Vince Spadea ousted France's Gregory Carraz 6-3, 7-5.
Monday's results:
First round: Alex Bogdanovic (Britain) beat Joachim Johansson (Sweden) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; 7-Hicham Arazi (Morocco) bee Lee Childs (Britain) 6-3, 6-3; Jan-Michael Gambill (US) beat Wesley Moodie (South Africa) 6-4, 6-2; Robin Soderling (Sweden) beat David Ferrer (Spain) 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-2; 3-Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) beat Aisamul Haq Qureshi (Pakistan) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3; 5-Vincent Spadea (US) beat Gregory Carraz (France) 6-3, 7-5.
Results of matches at the Eastbourne International WTA tournament:
First round: 8-Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) beat Anne Keothavong (Britain) 5-7, 6-1, 6-1; Nathalie Dechy (France) beat Fabiola Zuluaga (Columbia) 6-2, 6-1; Karolina Sprem (Croatia) beat 6-Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi (Israel) 6-2, 6-4.
AMSTERDAM: Results from the ATP and WTA Ordina Open tennis championships in Den Bosch:
Men's first round: John Van Lottum (Netherlands) beat Thierry Ascione (France) 6-2, 6-0; Dennis Van Scheppingen (Netherlands) beat Jose Acasuso (Argentina) 6-3, 6-2; Igor Andreev (Russia) beat Peter Wessels (Netherlands) 6-1, 6-3; Michael Kohlmann (Germany) beat George Bastl (Switzerland) 7-6 (9-7), 6-4; Jan Vacek (Czech Republic) beat 5-Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) 6-4, 6-4; 6-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Antony Dupuis (France) 6-4, 6-0.
Women's first round: Anca Barna (Germany) beat 6-Jelena Kostanic (Croatia) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; Jelena Jankovic (Serbia and Montenegro) beat Gisela Dulko (Argentina) 6-1, 6-1; Flavia Pennetta (Italy) beat Arantxa Parra Santonja (Spain) 6-3, 7-6; 7-Claudine Schaul (Luxembourg) beat Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) 6-4, 3-1 - retired; 8-Lina Krasnoroutskaya (Russia) beat Melinda Czink (Hungary) 6-2, 6-1; Akiko Morigami (Japan) beat Carly Gullickson (US) 6-1, 7-5; Anne Kremer (Luxembourg) beat Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 6-1, 6-3. -Reuters
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