GSTAAD, July 7: Defending champion Jiri Novak recovered from a shaky start to beat Spaniard Albert Montanes 3-6 6-3 6-3 in the second round of the Swiss Open on Wednesday.
The fourth-seeded Czech, twice a winner in Gstaad, was outplayed by claycourt specialist Montanes in the opening set before he took control to complete his 12th straight victory in the event.
Novak, who beat Wimbledon champion Roger Federer in last year's final, won the title for the first time in 2001. Novak will play Potito Starace in the quarterfinals after the unseeded Italian beat Romanian Victor Hanescu 3-6 7-6 7-6.
Russian Igor Andreev defeated 1999 tournament winner and eighth seed Albert Costa of Spain 6-2 6-4 to book his place in the last eight. The Russian will meet Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo, for a place in the semifinals, after the Spaniard beat Austrian Stefan Koubek 6-3 6-4.
SECOND ROUND RESULTS
Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (Spain) bt Stefan Koubek (Austria) 6-3 6-4; Igor Andreev (Russia) bt Albert Costa (Spain) 6-2 6-4; Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) bt Albert Montanes (Spain) 3-6 6-3 6-3; Potito Starace (Italy) bt Victor Hanescu (Romania) 3-6 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-1).
GONZALEZ, ZABALETA WIN
BASTAD: Chilean sixth seed Fernando Gonzalez beat Finn Jarkko Nieminen 7-6 6-1 at the Swedish Open on Wednesday to earn a place in the quarterfinals. Defending champion and eighth seed Mariano Zabaleta is also through after defeating Georgian Irakli Labadze 6-4 1-6 6-3 in an uneven match where Labadze was unable to sustain his sublime form of the second set in the decider.
Nieminen looked set to clinch the first set when serving at 6-5 but Gonzalez broke back and proved the stronger player in the tiebreak, which he won 7-3. In the second set the hard-hitting Chilean stepped up a gear and outclassed Nieminen 6-1 in just 22 minutes. He will now face unseeded Argentine Juan Monaco.
SECOND ROUND RESULTS
Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) bt Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 7-6 (7-3) 6-1; Alberto Martin (Spain) bt Filippo Volandri (Italy) 5-7 6-1 6-4; Juan Monaco (Argentina) bt Kristof Vliegen (Belgium) 5-7 6-4 6-1; Mariano Zabaleta (Argentina) bt Irakli Labadze (Georgia) 6-4 1-6 6-3.
HALL OF FAME TENNIS:
NEWPORT, July 7: Results from the 380,000 dollar Hall of Fame Tennis Championship here on Tuesday:
FIRST ROUND:
Vince Spadea (USA) bt Jeff Salzenstein (USA) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3; James Blake (USA) bt Dick Norman (BEL) 7-6(9/7), 6-3; Jurgen Melzer (AUT) bt Jan Hernych (CZE) 6-2, 6-4; Cyril Saulnier (FRA) bt Justin Gimelstob (USA) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1; Antony Dupuis (FRA) bt Jan Vacek (CZE) 6-2, 6-2; Alex Bogomolov (USA) bt Harel Levy (ISR) 6-3, 6-3 Nicolas Mahut (FRA) bt Jerome Golmard (FRA) 6-2, 6-2. -Agencies