Kiefer has never lost a set to Schalken and improved his career record against the Dutchman to 3-0 in the second round match on the UCLA campus.
Kiefer also appeared more comfortable playing in the hot and humid conditions as Schalken made two key errors with the score tied at 4-4 in the second set.
Top-seeded Australian Lleyton Hewitt had little difficulty with American qualifier Michael Joyce, dominating him 6-3 6-0.
Hewitt will meet Kenneth Carlsen in the third round after the Dane beat Prakash Amritraj of India 6-4 6-2.
Results: (prefix number denotes seeding):
Second round: 8-Vince Spadea (U.S.) beat Jan Vacek (Czech Republic) 7-5 2-6 6-2; 1-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat Michael Joyce (U.S.) 6-3 6-0; Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark) beat Prakash Amritraj (India) 6-4 6-2; Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) beat 3-Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) 6-4 6-4
CAPRIATI RETIRES
CARLSBAD (California): Fifth seed Jennifer Capriati became the latest victim of the Acura Classic injury jinx on Wednesday, retiring with a pectoral strain while trailing 4-1 to Russian Elena Likhovtseva in the second round.
The American is the ninth player to either pull out or retire from the $1 million tournament.
Seventh seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia had to save a match point before putting out Slovenia’s Katerina Srebotnik 3-6 7-5 7-6 while American Lisa Raymond upset eighth seed Ai Sugiyama of Japan 6-0 2-6 6-4.
The American reached the final of last week’s Bank of the West Classic despite experiencing pain in her shoulder.
The 2002 Australian Open champion was only on court for nine minutes against Likhovtseva before her pectoral strain became too painful to continue.
Despite the injury hoodoo, Capriati expects all the top players to return for next month’s U.S. Open.
Former French and Australian Open champion Mary Pierce of France knocked out 11th-seeded Spaniard Conchita Martinez 6-1 6-3 while 10th seed Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria trounced Australia’s Alicia Molik 6-1 6-3.
Second seed Clijsters will play the night match against Spain’s Virginia Ruano-Pascual.
Results:
Second round: 7-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat Katerina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 3-6 7-5 7-6 (8-6); Mary Pierce (France) beat 11-Conchita Martinez (Spain) 6-1 6-3; Lina Krasnoroutskaya (Russia) beat 15-Silvia Farina-Elia (Italy) 6-2 6-2; Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) beat 5-Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) 4-1 retired; 10-Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) beat Alicia Molik (Australia) 6-1 6-3; Lisa Raymond (U.S.) beat 8-Ai Sugiyama (Japan) 6-0 2-6 6-4; Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Meilen Tu (U.S.) 6-3 4-6 7-6 (7-3).
RODDICK STRUGGLES
WASHINGTON: Second seed Andy Roddick used a powerful serve and punishing groundstrokes on Wednesday to overcome an inspired display by fellow American Bob Bryan and advance to the third round of the $600,000 Washington Classic.
Roddick blasted 12 aces and never lost his serve during a 7-6 6-4 triumph over Bryan, who alongside his brother Mike forms the top doubles team in the world.
Roddick, who now meets Britain’s Greg Rusedski in a repeat of their explosive encounter at Wimbledon last month, has been the top player in service games for two years and showed why against Bryan, who is ranked 129th in the world in singles.
Bryan, however, almost matched his opponent serve-for-serve, also hitting 12 aces and losing his serve only once, in the final game.
Results:
Second round: 10-Tim Henman (Britain) beat Paul Goldstein (U.S.) 5-7 6-4 6-3; 2-Andy Roddick (U.S.) beat Bob Bryan (U.S.) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4; 3-Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) beat Cyril Saulnier (France) 6-4 6-7 (6-8) 6-1; 4-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Julien Benneteau (France) 6-2 6-4; 5-Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) beat Thomas Enqvist (Sweden) 6-3 2-6 6-3; 8-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Simon Larose (Canada) 6-4 6-3; 13-Sargis Sargsian (Armenia) beat Jiri Vanek (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-4; 15-Mario Ancic (Croatia) beat Jeff Morrison (U.S.) 6-2 6-7 (3-7) 6-2; 16-Brian Vahaly (U.S.) beat Sergio Roitman (Argentina) 6-4 3-6 6-0; Mike Bryan (U.S.) beat Noam Okun (Israel) 6-1 6-7 (7-9) 7-6 (7-4)—Reuters