Fish survives scare from qualifier Dancevic at ATP Delray Beach

AFP Global Edition | 2009-02-25 05:01:15

<div><p>Mardy Fish survived a scare from Canadian qualifier Frank Dancevic to win 7-5, 6-3 in the first round of the ATP Delray Beach International Tennis Championship.</p><p>The top-seeded Fish is looking to become the first American to win the 500,000 dollar hardcourt tournament since Jan-Michael Gambill in 2003.</p><p>Fish saved four of the five break points he faced and converted three of his nine to win the first career matchup between the two.</p><p>The world No. 20 and a top seed for the third time in his career, Fish is in search of his first ATP singles title since claiming the second of his career at Houston in 2006.</p><p>He will face countryman Vincent Spadea in the next round.</p><p>The difficult start of the season for Ernests Gulbis continued against popular Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis as the No. 3 seed suffered a 7-5, 6-2 setback.</p><p>The Latvian fell to 6-7 on the season and has now lost all three career meetings with Baghdatis, who blasted 13 aces to just one double fault.</p><p>Fourth-seeded Igor Kunitsyn also was eliminated in an upset by qualifier and fellow Russian Evgeny Korolev, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3).</p><p>A pair of former champions were knocked out in the first round as unseeded German Tommy Haas (2006) was defeated by No. 7 Jeremy Chardy of France, 7-6 (9/7), 6-3 and Australian wild card Lleyton Hewitt (1999) was upended by eighth-seeded Lu Yen-Hsun of Taiwan 7-5, 2-6, 6-2.</p><p>Evan King, a 16-year-old American wild card, lost in his ATP tour debut, 6-2, 6-4 to Andrey Golubev.</p><p>Dudi Sela also advanced when German Philipp Petzschner retired trailing, 2-6, 1-4, as did Spadea, who came back from a set down to top German Denis Gremelmayr, 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 and grab his first win of the season.</p><p>Germany's Mischa Zverev and Gilles Muller of Luxembourg also moved into the second round, defeating American qualifiers Taylor Dent and Ryan Sweeting, respectively.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=43603413&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>


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