Top-seeded Gonzalez ousted
For the second straight year, the top-seeded player at the Tennis Channel Open won't make it to the weekend.
Chile's Fernando Gonzalez never found his rhythm against Evgeny Korolev in the second round Thursday, and the highest-ranked player in the tournament lost 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) at the Darling Tennis Center.
"I was playing really great from the beginning," Korolev said. "But he's a great player. You know he's going to fight you for every point."
Gonzalez, ranked 13th, was inconsistent throughout and had to fight off 10 match points to force a tiebreak in the second set. Korolev won the last three points to reach today's quarterfinals against Kevin Anderson, who ousted American John Isner, 7-6 (7-2), 7-5.
"I think I got a little tight there with all those match points," the Russian Korolev said. "It was frustrating not being able to finish it sooner."
Gonzalez said: "I waited too late to start playing well. I had trouble with my serve, and he played good."
Korolev also beat the top seed last year, defeating James Blake in the round-robin leg. Blake failed to advance to the quarterfinals after round-robin play.
• ASIA ADVANCES -- Asia Muhammad of Las Vegas advanced to today's quarterfinals of the Hilton Cup women's tournament, defeating Tatjana Malek of Germany 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 in the second round.
In the first set, Malek broke Muhammad at 5-5 and served out the set, but Muhammad bounced back in the second set, breaking Malek at 5-4.
"I was trying to make her play a lot of balls," Muhammad said. "I was frustrated with losing that first set, but I knew if I got madder, it would only hurt me. So I tried to put it behind me and stay positive."
Muhammad will face Russian Ekaterina Bychkova in the quarterfinals.
• QUARTERFINAL ODDS -- The Las Vegas Hilton has made Guillermo Canas a minus-300 favorite in the quarterfinals today against Amer Delic. The takeback on Delic is plus-260.
Sam Querrey is minus-160 against Julien Benneteau in their quarterfinal. Benneteau is plus-140.
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2913.
