MEMPHIS (Tennessee): Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt sent third-seeded American James Blake tumbling out of the first-round of the $1.22 million ATP and WTA hardcourt tennis tournament on Wednesday.
Hewitt notched the upset of the day with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Blake.
Hewitt, a former world number one, bounced back from a sloppy first set to improve to 8-1 lifetime in head-to-head matchups with Blake.
Despite the weary history, Blake entered as a heavy favorite to pull off his second victory over Hewitt, who had battled a myriad of injuries throughout 2008 and has dropped to 103rd in the world rankings.
Instead Hewitt booked a second-round clash with compatriot Chris Guccione, who was called up along with Hewitt Wednesday for Australia's Davis Cup tie against Thailand in March.
Top-seeded American Roddick launched his quest for a first title of 2009 by dispatching defending champion Steve Darcis of Belgium 7-6, (7/1), 6-2.
Roddick has reached three finals over his previous eight appearances at this hardcourt event, but has only the 2002 crown to show for it.
Although Roddick has yet to lift a trophy this year, he boasts a runner-up finish in Doha and semi-final showings at the Australian Open and San Jose.
Darcis, the shock winner here last year, remains in search of his first match win of the year after first-round departures at Brisbane, Auckland, the Australian Open and San Jose.
Roddick, ranked sixth in the world, was one of six American men in action on Wednesday.
He advanced to a meeting with compatriot Robby Ginepri, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over German qualifier Simon Greul.
Fifth-seeded Czech Radek Stepanek, who won the title in San Jose on Sunday, also reached the second round, beating American qualifier Kevin Kim 6-4, 6-2.
Seventh seed Mardy Fish also benefited from the partisan crowd as he topped Taipei's Lu Yun-Hsun Lu 6-1, 7-5.
Eighth-seeded Sam Querrey - in the same half of the draw as compatriots Roddick, Blake and Fish - downed German veteran Tommy Haas 7-6, (7/4), 6-4.
On the women's side, Danish top seed Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating France's Severine Bremond 6-1, 7-6 (7/1).
Wozniacki will next face Dutch qualifier Michaella Krajicek, the only unseeded player in the women's final eight.
Also claiming quarter-final spots were Czech third seed Lucie Safarova, British fourth seed Anne Keothavong, German sixth seed Sabine Lisicki and eighth seed Pauline Parmentier of France.
Britain's Keothavong defeated Portugal's Michelle Larcherde Brito 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 to book a date against New Zealand's fifth-seeded Marina Erakovic.
Parmentier eliminated South African qualifier Chanelle Scheepers 6-4, 6-1 and will next meet second seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
Safarova ousted American Vania King 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, to book a final-eight date with Lisicki, who defeated France's Stephanie Foretz 6-2, 6-4.
Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hewitt-ousts-Blake-as-Roddick-drops-Darcis/articleshow/4153639.cms
Hewitt notched the upset of the day with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Blake.
Hewitt, a former world number one, bounced back from a sloppy first set to improve to 8-1 lifetime in head-to-head matchups with Blake.
Despite the weary history, Blake entered as a heavy favorite to pull off his second victory over Hewitt, who had battled a myriad of injuries throughout 2008 and has dropped to 103rd in the world rankings.
Instead Hewitt booked a second-round clash with compatriot Chris Guccione, who was called up along with Hewitt Wednesday for Australia's Davis Cup tie against Thailand in March.
Top-seeded American Roddick launched his quest for a first title of 2009 by dispatching defending champion Steve Darcis of Belgium 7-6, (7/1), 6-2.
Roddick has reached three finals over his previous eight appearances at this hardcourt event, but has only the 2002 crown to show for it.
Although Roddick has yet to lift a trophy this year, he boasts a runner-up finish in Doha and semi-final showings at the Australian Open and San Jose.
Darcis, the shock winner here last year, remains in search of his first match win of the year after first-round departures at Brisbane, Auckland, the Australian Open and San Jose.
Roddick, ranked sixth in the world, was one of six American men in action on Wednesday.
He advanced to a meeting with compatriot Robby Ginepri, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over German qualifier Simon Greul.
Fifth-seeded Czech Radek Stepanek, who won the title in San Jose on Sunday, also reached the second round, beating American qualifier Kevin Kim 6-4, 6-2.
Seventh seed Mardy Fish also benefited from the partisan crowd as he topped Taipei's Lu Yun-Hsun Lu 6-1, 7-5.
Eighth-seeded Sam Querrey - in the same half of the draw as compatriots Roddick, Blake and Fish - downed German veteran Tommy Haas 7-6, (7/4), 6-4.
On the women's side, Danish top seed Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating France's Severine Bremond 6-1, 7-6 (7/1).
Wozniacki will next face Dutch qualifier Michaella Krajicek, the only unseeded player in the women's final eight.
Also claiming quarter-final spots were Czech third seed Lucie Safarova, British fourth seed Anne Keothavong, German sixth seed Sabine Lisicki and eighth seed Pauline Parmentier of France.
Britain's Keothavong defeated Portugal's Michelle Larcherde Brito 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 to book a date against New Zealand's fifth-seeded Marina Erakovic.
Parmentier eliminated South African qualifier Chanelle Scheepers 6-4, 6-1 and will next meet second seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
Safarova ousted American Vania King 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, to book a final-eight date with Lisicki, who defeated France's Stephanie Foretz 6-2, 6-4.
Source:http://sports.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Hewitt-ousts-Blake-as-Roddick-drops-Darcis/articleshow/4153639.cms
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