Top ranked Rafael Nadal, second-seeded British star Andy Murray and four-time Queen’s Club champ Andy Roddick were a trio of winners Thursday in the third round of the Aegon Championships, a Wimbledon tune-up tennis event.
The world No. 1 Spaniard Nadal, apparently still adjusting to the switch from his favorite surface to the grass courts, needed three sets to dispose of the gritty Czech veteran Radek Stepanek 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 to advance into the final eight.
Nadal, who continued his dominance on the clay courts against arch-rival Roger Federer in Sunday’s thrilling finale at Paris, amassed six service breaks in Day 4 action.
The reigning French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion Nadal will next face fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who advanced after 10th-seeded fellow Frenchman Michael Llodra retired after the first set Thursday.
Second-seeded Australian Open runner-up Murray, who was the 2009 Queen's Club titlist, brushed aside pain from his ankle injury he sustained at the French Open to notch a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) win over Serbian 14th seed Janko Tipsarevic.
On Friday, the world No. 4 Murray will collide against eighth-seeded Croat Marin Cilic, who trounced Brazilian campaigner Thomaz Bellucci.
Former U.S. Open champ Roddick, bidding for his fifth Queen’s Club crown, blasted No. 15th seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa in straight sets
Up next for the hard hitting Roddick, who ruled this London event from 2003-05 and again in 2007, will be No. 7th seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who knocked off ninth-seeded and former Wimbledon finalist Argentine David Nalbandian, 7-5, 6-1.
Meanwhile, the third-round match pitting No. 13th –seed and defending Queen’s Club champion Sam Querrey and British wild card James Ward was suspended due to darkness.
The winner of the Querrey-Ward encounter will face Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, who posted mild upset in Day 4, when he toppled 12th-seeded former world No. 4 and former U.S. Open champ Juan Martin del Potro.
At Copenhagen, Denmark, world No 1 and crowd favorite Caroline Wozniacki whipped German Angelique Kerber to advance into the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open Thursday.
Wozniacki, winner of the inaugural Copenhagen title last year, was pushed to a tiebreak in the opening set by the gusty Kerber, but regained composure to post a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 victory in the second round.
The 20-year-old Dane, who vanquished Czech Klara Zakopalova in the last year’s finale here, will continue her return bid to the championship match Friday, when she plays No. 8th seeded Italian Alberta Brianti.
Rising American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, seeded third this week, also advances into the quarterfinals after prevailing over Swede Johanna Larsson 6-7 (1-7), 6-0, 7-6 (7-5). Mattek-Sands is set to square off against German Mona Barthel Friday
Fourth-seeded Czech Lucie Safarova also booked a berth in Friday’s quarterfinal. She will face China's Zhang Shuai, who bested Russian qualifier Galina Voskoboeva in three sets.
The world No. 1 Spaniard Nadal, apparently still adjusting to the switch from his favorite surface to the grass courts, needed three sets to dispose of the gritty Czech veteran Radek Stepanek 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 to advance into the final eight.Nadal, who continued his dominance on the clay courts against arch-rival Roger Federer in Sunday’s thrilling finale at Paris, amassed six service breaks in Day 4 action.
The reigning French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion Nadal will next face fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who advanced after 10th-seeded fellow Frenchman Michael Llodra retired after the first set Thursday.
Second-seeded Australian Open runner-up Murray, who was the 2009 Queen's Club titlist, brushed aside pain from his ankle injury he sustained at the French Open to notch a 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) win over Serbian 14th seed Janko Tipsarevic.
On Friday, the world No. 4 Murray will collide against eighth-seeded Croat Marin Cilic, who trounced Brazilian campaigner Thomaz Bellucci.
Former U.S. Open champ Roddick, bidding for his fifth Queen’s Club crown, blasted No. 15th seed Kevin Anderson of South Africa in straight sets
Up next for the hard hitting Roddick, who ruled this London event from 2003-05 and again in 2007, will be No. 7th seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who knocked off ninth-seeded and former Wimbledon finalist Argentine David Nalbandian, 7-5, 6-1.
Meanwhile, the third-round match pitting No. 13th –seed and defending Queen’s Club champion Sam Querrey and British wild card James Ward was suspended due to darkness.
The winner of the Querrey-Ward encounter will face Frenchman Adrian Mannarino, who posted mild upset in Day 4, when he toppled 12th-seeded former world No. 4 and former U.S. Open champ Juan Martin del Potro.
At Copenhagen, Denmark, world No 1 and crowd favorite Caroline Wozniacki whipped German Angelique Kerber to advance into the quarterfinals of the Sony Ericsson Open Thursday.
Wozniacki, winner of the inaugural Copenhagen title last year, was pushed to a tiebreak in the opening set by the gusty Kerber, but regained composure to post a 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 victory in the second round.
The 20-year-old Dane, who vanquished Czech Klara Zakopalova in the last year’s finale here, will continue her return bid to the championship match Friday, when she plays No. 8th seeded Italian Alberta Brianti.
Rising American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, seeded third this week, also advances into the quarterfinals after prevailing over Swede Johanna Larsson 6-7 (1-7), 6-0, 7-6 (7-5). Mattek-Sands is set to square off against German Mona Barthel Friday
Fourth-seeded Czech Lucie Safarova also booked a berth in Friday’s quarterfinal. She will face China's Zhang Shuai, who bested Russian qualifier Galina Voskoboeva in three sets.
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