MIAMI, Feb 14: Top seed James Blake reached the second round of the Delray Beach International with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Robert Kendrick on Wednesday.
The 12th-ranked Blake had the first set interrupted by rain and was down 2-3 and 3-4 in the second set. Donald Young fell apart after leading 5-0 in the first set and eventually lost to Amer Delic 7-6 (7), 6-3.
Young, who served for the opening set at 5-1 and 5-3, had two set points on Delic’s serve in the 10th game, then watched four set points go by the wayside in the tiebreaker. After losing the first set, he tossed his racket out of the stadium.
Young started the second set with a 2-1 lead after breaking Delic’s serve in the third game, but couldn’t keep his composure.
ATP supervisor Mark Darby said Young, who received a code violation warning for tossing his racket, could be in further trouble for the match, which will be reviewed.
Florian Mayer of Germany retired with a left leg injury with Japanese qualifier Kei Nishikori leading 6-0, 4-3.
Results (x denotes seeding):
First round: James Blake (US x1) bt Robert Kendrick (US) 7-5, 7-5; Kei Nishikori (JPN) bt Florian Mayer (GER x5) 6-0, 4-3 abandon; Vincent Spadea (US x6) bt Denis Gremelmayr (GER) 6-3, 6-4; Amer Delic (US) bt Donald Young (US) 7-6 (9/7), 6-3.
MOYA CONTROLS PATIENCE
RIO DE JANEIRO: Top-seeded Carlos Moya of Spain bounced back from a first-set scare to rout Olivier Patience of France 5-7, 6-1, 6-0 in the Brasil Open’s second round on Wednesday.
Moya lost his serve only once to lose the first set. Patience won his opening serve of the second then Moya reeled off the last 12 games, allowing Patience just eight points in the third set.
He advanced to the quarter-finals where he will face countryman Oscar Hernandez, who defeated Sergio Roitman of Argentina 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. Hernandez and Moya will meet for the first time on Friday.
Results:
Second round: Carlos Moya (ESP x1) bt Olivier Patience (FRA) 5-7, 6-1, 6-0; Oscar Hernandez (ESP) bt Sergio Roitman (ARG) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4; Ivo Minar (CZE x4) bt Carlos Berlocq (ARG) 6-4, 6-4; Fabio Fognini (ITA) bt Albert Montanes (ESP x8) 7-5, 6-3.
HANTUCHOVA SURVIVES
ANTWERP (Belgium): Third seed Daniela Hantuchova survived a test against a local teenager before overcoming 163rd-ranked Yanina Wickmayer 6-4, 6-3 here on Wednesday at the Diamond Games.
Hantuchova couldn’t take control of the first set until the final game, when she broke the 18-year-old Wickmayer.
The experienced seed broke again for 4-2 before finally sprinting to the finish, saving a break point in the final game. She will next face China’s ninth seed Li Na, who beat another Slovak in Domenika Cibulkova 6-4, 6-3.
Results:
First round: Timea Bacsinszky (SUI) bt Olga Govortsova (BLR) 6-3, 3-6, 7-5; Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) bt Tatiana Perebiynis (UKR) 7-6 (7/1), 6-3.
Second round: Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x3) bt Yanina Wickmayer (BEL) 6-4, 6-3; Li Na (CHN x9) bt Dominika Cibulkova (SVK) 6-4, 6-3; Patty Schnyder (SUI x4) bt Ai Sugiyama (JPN) 6-3, 6-4.
TSONGA FLOPS
MARSEILLE (France): France’s surprise Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga suffered a disappointing return to France on Wednesday as he was beaten 7-5, 7-6 (7/3) in straight sets by Croatian Mario Ancic in the first round of the Marseille Open.
The 22-year-old seventh seed was never able to settle against Ancic, who has slipped from the top 10 to 135 in the world following a year of injury and suffering from glandular fever.
Results (x denotes seeding)
Wednesday:
Second round: Nicolas Mahut (FRA) bt Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP x5) 5-7, 6-4, 7-6(1).
First round: Novak Djokovic (SRB x1) bt Ivan Dodig (CRO) 6-1, 6-4; Mario Ancic (CRO) bt Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x7) 7-5, 7-6(3); Ivo Karlovic (CRO) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-7(6), 7-5, 7-6(4); Richard Gasquet (FRA x2) bt Simone Bolelli (ITA) 6-3, 6-3; Mikhail Youzhny (RUS x3) bt Marin Cilic (CRO) 6-4, 7-6(3); Michael Llodra (FRA) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 6-2, 7-6(5); Gilles Simon (FRA) bt David Guez (FRA) 6-2, 6-4.
Tuesday’s results:
First round: Marcos Baghdatis (CYP x6) bt Arnaud Clement (FRA) 6-3, 6-4; Stanislas Wawrinka (SUI) bt Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4; Andy Murray (GBR x4) bt Jesse Huta Galung (NED) 6-4, 6-4; Nicolas Mahut (FRA) bt Michail Elgin (RUS) 6-3, 6-3; Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP x5) bt Hyung-Taik Lee (KOR) 6-4, 6-1; Julien Benneteau (FRA) bt Andrei Pavel (ROM) 6-2, 1-0 retired; Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) bt Michael Berrer (GER) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4.—Agencies
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