DELRAY BEACH INTL. CHAMPS.
Delray Beach, Fl., U.S.A.
February 13, 2008
Blake, Querrey, Spadea Advance in Straight Sets

© Camera Sport
James Blake Americans James Blake, Vince Spadea and Sam Querrey needed to wait out another six-hour rain delay Wednesday at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships before returning to the courts to close out straight sets victories in their first round matches.

Querrey, who was three games from the win when rain interrupted play Tuesday evening, led the way by dismissing Russian Yuri Schukin 6-1, 6-4, and top seed Blake followed by defeating compatriot Robert Kendrick in Delray Beach for the second straight year, 7-5, 7-5.

Blake said: "I was sweating a little bit when he was up a break twice in the second set. It was a tricky match. I was sitting around all day. It was pretty windy. There wasn't a lot of rhythm... [It] felt really good once I started getting returns in. My serve wasn't exactly my best performance ever so to get through that and start returning that way was good."

He takes a 0-1 record into his second round match against Chilean Paul Capdeville, having lost to the 24-year-old two years ago in a dead rubber in the Davis Cup quarterfinals. The 28-year-old Blake was runner-up to Belgian Xavier Malisse last year in Delray Beach.

Querrey, who is the third-ranked American behind World No. 6 Andy Roddick and No. 12 Blake, will attempt to reach the Delray Beach quarterfinals for the first time when he meets Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Sixth seed Spadea, meanwhile, held German Denis Gremelmayr's number for the third straight tournament, 6-3, 6-4. Spadea had defeated Gremelmayr 9-7 in the fifth set of the second round meeting at the Australian Open and in the quarterfinals of the Waikoloa Challenger.

The 33-year old Spadea is playing in Delray Beach for a record 11th time and improves to an 18-10 event record. He reached the final in 2004 and the semifinals the last three years, losing to the eventual champion each time.

Japanese qualifier Kei Nishikori also advanced to the second round and led German Florian Mayer 6-0, 4-3 when his opponent retired with a left leg injury. The 18-year-old, who trains at the Bolletieri Academy in Florida, is appearing in just his sixth career ATP tournament. He reached the Indianapolis quarterfinals as a qualifier last year.

Another 18-year-old, Donald Young, could not close the deal in his all-American first round match against qualifier Amer Delic despite racing out to the 5-0 lead in the opening set. He held two set points on Delic's serve in the 10th game of the set and then had four more in the first set tie-break, but Delic came back to win the tie-break and the match, 7-6(7), 6-3.

"To go down 5-love was a combiniation of him playing well and me just coming out kind of sluggish," said Delic. "This morning when I woke up, I didn't even think we were going to step on the court; there was a monsoon coming through. I guess it was maybe a lack of preparation."

Delic, who also reached the second round at Delray Beach in 2004, captured the title at the Dallas Challenger two weeks ago. In January, he reached the second round at the Australian Open and fell to Argentine Juan Monaco 8-6 in the fifth set after holding a two set lead.

He said: "This has been kind of a year of comebacks. I've had a couple matches already down 5-0, in a tie-break, the guy serving down two sets to love and a break and coming back. It's been an interesting year, but I hope to keep the streak alive."

Young had posted his first career ATP-level match win last August when he defeated Delic in New Haven.

Watch a live video stream from Delray Beach at B2 Networks.

ATP Tournament Profile | Delray Beach TV Schedule

Tuesday: Fish, Mirnyi Secure Wins on Rainy Day in Delray
Monday: Haas, Malisse Upset in First Round

 



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