Tennis: Ferrer, Roddick advance to Japan Open
By JIM ARMSTRONG
AP Sports Writer
TOKYO — Defending champion David Ferrer of Spain recovered from a slow start today to defeat Japan's Takao Suzuki in three sets to advance to the quarterfinals of the Japan Open along with Andy Roddick, who beat Austria's Jurgen Melzer.
Ferrer beat Suzuki 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 to set up a quarterfinal clash with fifth-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina, who defeated Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-1, 6-3.
Second-seeded Roddick beat Melzer 7-6 (2), 6-2 and will face the winner of the third-round match between France's Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Serbian Viktor Troicki.
Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic defeated Tommy Robredo 7-6 (6), 6-2 and will face No. 3 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in the quarterfinals. Gonzalez defeated Amer Delic 6-4, 7-6 (4).
Ferrer broke Suzuki to go up 3-1 in the second set and said that was the key to winning the third-round match.
"It was a tough match, Takao surprised me," said Ferrer. "He was very focused but when I broke him in the second set I got more focused, then the third set was easier for me."
Ferrer coasted through the final set and won with an ace to wrap up the match in 1 hour, 56 minutes.
Ferrer, currently No. 5 in the world rankings, defeated France's Richard Gasquet in the final of the Japan Open last year.
He is coming off an opening-round exit in Beijing last week.
Roddick is coming off a win in the China Open on Sunday and needed three tiebreakers to defeat Ivo Minar in his opening match here on Wednesday.
His third-round match against Melzer was much faster.
"I played OK," said Roddick. "I think Jurgen had a few calls go against him in the second set which is unfortunate, but I'm glad I didn't have to spend too much time on the court."
Roddick broke Melzer to go up 2-1 in the second set. His return appeared to be long and Melzer was given a code violation for an audible obscenity after protesting.
Fourth-seeded Gasquet defeated Japanese teenager Kei Nishikori 6-1, 6-2 and will next face Germany's Rainer Schuettler, who beat eighth-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, 6-3, 6-7 (12), 6-4.
