NEW HAVEN (Connecticut), Aug 21: American wildcard Mardy Fish continued his tentative return to form at the ATP event in New Haven on Monday as he upset seventh seed Filippo Volandri of Italy 6-7, 7-5, 6-0 to reach the third round.

Fish hammered 18 aces as he won back-to-back matches for the first time since February to set up a clash with ninth seed Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia or Argentine Jose Acasuso.

Second seed Tommy Robredo won his first match on hard courts this summer with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Frenchman Marc Giquel to advance to round three.

Robredo now plays 12th seed Fernando Verdasco or American Vince Spadea, who edged out Russian Evgeny Korolev 6-2, 5-7, 7-5. Finn Jarko Nieminen was the other man to book a place in the third round but the sixth seed needed a final-set tiebreak to get past Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, 3-6, 6-2, 7-6.

Croat Mario Ancic, who came through qualifying after rejecting a wildcard into the tournament to gain more match practice, was ousted 7-6, 6-4 by Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka in the first round.

Frenchman Arnaud Clement and Julien Benneteau also advanced to round two while lucky loser Luis Horna of Peru beat Austrian Stefan Koubek 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

In the women’s event, sixth seed Elena Dementieva of Russia came through a tough match with Italian Mara Santangelo 6-2, 3-6, 6-0 to reach round two. Seventh seed Sybille Bammer of Austria and number eight, Ukrainian Alona Bondarenko, advanced with straight-set victories.

Results on Monday (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s:

Second round: 6-Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 3-6, 6-2, 7-6(6); Mardy Fish (US) bt 7-Filippo Volandri (ITA) 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-0; 2-Tommy Robredo (ESP) bt Marc Gicquel (FRA) 6-4, 6-4.

First round: Stanislas Wawrinka (SWI) bt Mario Ancic (CRO) 7-6(4), 6-4; Arnaud Clement (FRA) bt Kevin Anderson (RSA) 6-1, 6-4; Jose Acasuso (ARG) bt Olivier Rochus (BEL) 6-1, 7-6(7); Vince Spadea (US) bt Evgeny Korolev (RUS) 6-2, 5-7, 7-5; Julien Benneteau (FRA) bt Oscar Hernandez (ESP) 6-2, 6-2; Albert Montanes (ESP) bt Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) 6-4, 6-4; Luis Horna (PER) bt Stefan Koubek (AUT) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.

Women’s:

First round: Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) bt Martina Mueller (GER) 6-4, 7-6(4); 6-Elena Dementieva (RUS) bt Mara Santangelo (ITA) 6-2, 3-6, 6-0; Ashley Harkleroad (US) bt Tatiana Poutchek (BRS) 6-1, 6-0; 8-Alona Bondarenko (UKR) bt Olga Govortsova (BRS) 6-3, 7-6(2); Virginia Ruano (ESP) bt Olga Poutchkova (RUS) 7-6(4), 6-1; 7-Sybille Bammer (AUT) bt Meghann Shaughnessy (US) 6-4, 6-2; Agnes Szavay (HUN) bt Samantha Stosur (AUS) 6-2, 6-4; Emilie Loit (FRA) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 6-0, 7-5.—Reuters