BANK AUSTRIA-TENNIS TROPHY
Del Potro Into Shanghai Contention; Gonzalez Saves 5 M.P.
The third seed beat beat wild card Martin Fischer of Austria 7-6(7), 6-4 in two hours and 12 minutes. With a 30-2 match record since July, del Potro will next meet German Philipp Kohlschreiber in the second round as he bids to qualify for Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai.
Del Potro, who moved past James Blake in the ATP 2008 Race, is looking to claim one of four remaining singles berths to Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai and to finish inside the year-end Top 10 for the first time in his career.
In second round action, Fernando Gonzalez (pictured) reached his third ATP quarterfinal in as many weeks after saving five match points to beat Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 4-6, 7-6(11), 6-1 in two hours and 11 minutes. Gulbis squandered match points at 6-4, 7-6, 9-8, and 11-10 in the second set tie-break. Second seed Gonzalez, who clinched the second set on his third set point, won the deciding set in 23 minutes with Gulbis winning just 10 points. It was the pair’s first meeting. Gulbis, 20, dropped to a 22-20 mark this year.
The 28-year-old Gonzalez, who can add 38 points to his ATP 2008 Race tally of 279 points should he capture his third ATP title of the season, improved to 39-13 on the season. The 2006 Vienna runner-up (l. to Ljubicic) started the week at No. 11 in the ATP 2008 Race just seven points behind No. 10-ranked Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland. Should he win his quarterfinal on Friday, Gonzalez would rise to No. 10 in the ATP 2008 Race.
Frenchman Gael Monfils, who began the year with a modest 5-7 record, improved to a 23-14 record on the season with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 win over Austrian Alexander Peya. Monfils next meets tough Czech Radek Stepanek.
Fifth-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who could add 42 points to his current ATP 2008 Race total of 253 points should he capture the Vienna title this week, knocked out Guillermo Canas of Argentina 6-1, 6-2 in 69 minutes. The 24-year-old Verdasco, who clinched his second ATP title at Umag (d. Andreev) in July, improved to 42-23 on the season. He is currently No. 15 in the ATP 2008 Race.
German Philipp Petzschner reached his second ATP quarterfinal in three weeks by hitting six aces past fellow qualifier Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic in a 6-3, 6-4 victory over 83 minutes.
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