Safin, Haas advance to quarterfinals
Agencies, Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Top-seeded Marat Safin of Russia and second-seeded Tommy Haas of Germany reached the quarterfinals of the President's Cup here on Wednesday.
Safin, the world No. 3, came back from 2-5 down in the opening set to beat Karol Beck of Slovakia 7-6 (4), 6-7 (3), 6-4. The 20- year-old Beck, ranked 161st in the world, won the second-set tiebreaker with an ace.
Haas and Sargis Sargsian of Armenia traded back-to-back breaks in the fourth and fifth games of the opening set, and the 24-year-old German held on the win 7-6 (5), 6-4.
Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia rallied from a set down to beat Kenneth Carlsen of Denmark 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Fifth-seeded Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Harel Levy of Israel, 6-3, 6-4, and qualifier Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus crushed seventh-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 6-1, 6-3.
In Brazil, Cecil Mamiit of the United States stunned US Open semifinalist Sjeng Schalken 6-3, 7-6 (6) on Wednesday in the second round of the Brasil Open.
"I didn't expect this victory," Mamiit said. "I kept winning points and gaining confidence as the game went on."
Mamiit took the court with a U.S. flag pin on his shirt in memory of the victims of the World Trade Center tragedy and was loudly applauded by the crowd at this northeastern coastal resort.
Seventh-seeded Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia came from behind to defeat Brian Vahaly of the United States 4-6, 6-2, 6-2, and No. 5 seed Agustin Calleri of Argentina downed Vincent Spadea of the United States 7-6 (1), 7-5.
In women's play, No. 2 seed Monica Seles made her debut with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Tina Pisnik of Slovenia to advance to the quarterfinals.
Seles now faces surprising Henrieta Nagyova of Slovakia, who upset No. 5 seed Iva Majoli of Croatia 6-2, 6-3.
Meanwhile, No. 1 seed Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia cruised 7-6 (3), 6-4 over Myriam Casanova of Switzerland. Third-seeded Anastasia Myskina of Russia downed Sunitha Rao of the United States 6-2, 6-2.
Amanda Coetzer of South Africa defeated French Nathalie Dechy 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; No. 8 seed Elena Daniilidou of Greece beat Emilie Loit of France 4-6, 6-2, 7-5; and Maja Matevzic of Croatia downed Cristina Torrens-Valero of Spain 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.
In Hawaii, America's Samantha Reeves beat third-seeded Barbara Schett of Austria 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 on Wednesday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Big Island Championships.
Reeves will face Belgium's Els Callens, a 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (2) winner over sixth-seeded Marissa Irvin of the United States.
Spain's Gala Leon Garcia also advanced to the quarterfinals, beating Venezuela's Milagros Sequera 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
In Shanghai, Russia's Anna Kournikova battled back from 5-2 down in the second set to beat China's Zheng Jie 6-4 7-6 in the second round of the Shanghai Open on Thursday.
Kournikova will face Jelena Kostanic in Friday's quarter- finals, the Croat having beaten compatriot Silvija Talaja 2-6 6-0 6-4.
Top seed Anna Smashnova of Israel crushed South Korea's Cho Yoon-jeong 6-0 6-3, while Japan's Miho Saeki beat Hungary's Petra Mandula 6-7 6-4 6-3.
Indonesia's Angelique Widjaja defeated Japanese Ayami Takase 7-6 (7/1), 6-4.