Delray Beach, FL (Sports Network) - Former champion Tommy Haas advanced when
his opponent retired Tuesday at the Delray Beach International Tennis
Championships.
The second-seeded onetime world No. 2 Haas was tied with Igor Sijsling, 5-7,
6-4, when the Dutchman quit on Day 2 at Delray Beach Tennis Center.
Haas, who titled here back in 2006, will face Denis Istomin in the round of
16.
Top-seeded American John Isner defeated Jesse Levine, 7-6 (7-3), 5-7, 6-4 to
advance to the second round.
Kei Nishikori, fresh off his championship in Memphis last week, was forced to
retire in the first set of his match with Ivo Karlovic, the 2010 runner-up at
the Delray Beach event. Nishikori, who won this event in 2008, was hampered by
a back injury.
Sixth-seeded Kevin Anderson took the next step in defending his Delray Beach
crown with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Tim Smyczek, while Go Soeda rallied to defeat
Marinko Matosevic, 2-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8-6).
In matches involving Americans, Jack Sock whipped Aussie Matthew Ebden, 6-3,
6-3; Taiwan's Yen-Hsun Lu topped Bobby Reynolds 6-3, 7-5; Spaniard Daniel
Munoz-De La Nava outlasted Ryan Harrison 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 and talented Latvian
Ernests Gulbis dismissed an aging James Blake 6-1, 6-4.
Gulbis titled here in 2010, while Blake was a Delray Beach runner-up in 2007
and 2008.
Additional opening-round wins came for Uzbekistan's Istomin, Frenchman Edouard
Roger-Vasselin and Lithuanian lucky loser Ricardas Berankis, who assumed a
spot in the draw when seventh-seeded Feliciano Lopez pulled out just two days
after finishing as a runner-up in Memphis.
The 2013 champion will pocket $78,000.
The Sports Network