Fourth seed Guillermo Canas and three Americans feature in quarterfinal action on Friday at the Tennis Channel Open in Las Vegas, a $436,000 event contested on hard court.
First out on Stadium Court, Russian Evgeny Korolev challenges South African qualifier Kevin Anderson. Korolev is bidding to reach his second semifinal in two years here, having reached the last four (l. to Jurgen Melzer) on his debut last year. The 20-year-old defeated Sergio Roitman in round one before upsetting top-seeded Chilean Fernando Gonzalez in the second round yesterday. World No. 100 Korolev is contesting his second ATP-level quarterfinal of the season having also achieved that feat in Sydney (l. to Santoro) at the start of the year. Last season the Moscow native recorded a career-best 20 ATP match wins, while finishing in the Top 100 for the second straight year. Anderson, standing tall at 6’7, is looking to continue his dream week, in which he has won an ATP-level match for the first time. The 21-year-old from Johannesburg turned pro just last summer after a standout career at the University of Illinois and earned a career-high ranking of No. 211 (Oct-22). Anderson had contested just two ATP-level events prior to this week, falling first round in New Haven (l. to Clement) last year and earlier this season at the Australian Open (l. to Falla). This week, at a new career high of No. 175, Anderson has reached the quarterfinals in Las Vegas after defeating two-time 2008 ATP titlist and sixth seed Michael Llodra and American John Isner.
Following is a quarterfinal clash between American qualifier Amer Delic and fourth-seeded Argentine Guillermo Canas. The two have not played before. World No. 126 Delic is through to his first ATP-level quarterfinal of 2008 – and his first in Las Vegas – courtesy of a first round victory over last year’s runner-up Jurgen Melzer and a pass through to the last eight when fifth-seeded Italian Potito Starace was forced to retire when trailing their second round encounter 3-6, 0-3. The 25-year-old Delic had won just two ATP-level matches this season coming into Las Vegas, reaching the second round at the Australian Open (l. to Juan Monaco 8-6 in fifth set) and in Delray Beach (l. to eventual champion Kei Nishikori). He also claimed a Challenger title in Dallas, Texas. World No. 20 Canas is contesting just his second event of the season (l. to Acasuso 2nd RD in Acapulco), having been sidelined for the first part of the year with left wrist tendonitis. The 30-year-old Canas, who defeated Thomas Johansson and Chris Guccione earlier in the week, is through to his first quarterfinal in Las Vegas, having failed to advance past the second round on his previous two visits in 2001 (l. to Clavet) and 2002 (l. to Kratochvil), when the tournament was held in Scottsdale.
Third on Stadium Court, American wild card Robby Ginepri faces unseeded Latvian Ernests Gulbis. The pair has not met before. The 25-year-old Ginepri has chalked up an 8-2 season, with two semifinal appearances in Delray Beach (l. to Blake) and San Jose (l. to Stepanek). Ginepri, currently No. 111 in the South African Airways Rankings having once been as high as No. 15 (26-Dec-05), is through to the quarterfinals here for the second time, having also reached the last eight in 2004 (l. to Kiefer), when the event was held in Scottsdale. He has defeated Xavier Malisse and third-seeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis en route to the quarterfinals. World No. 90 Gulbis had won just one ATP-level match this season coming into Las Vegas, reaching the second round in Adelaide (l. to Tsonga) and falling first round in his two other ATP main draws. The 19-year-old, who is making his debut in Las Vegas, has defeated Nicolas Massu and Peter Luczak this week.
Contesting the evening session on Stadium Court, American Sam Querrey tackles Frenchman Julien Benneteau. Querrey has won all three of their previous encounters, all of which came on American hard courts last season. World No. 66 Querrey is looking to reach his second ATP semifinal of the season, having reached the last four in Delray Beach (l. to eventual champion Kei Nishikori) recently. Making his third appearance here, the 20-year-old is contesting his second Las Vegas quarterfinal, having fallen to Korolev at this stage last season. He has defeated Sebastien Grosjean and eighth-seeded German Nicolas Kiefer in the first two rounds this week. World No. 61 Benneteau caused an upset when he defeated three-time champion and second seed Lleyton Hewitt in the quarterfinals on Wednesday; earlier in the week he defeated Jonas Bjorkman in the first round. The 26-year-old is bidding to reach his second ATP semifinal of the season, having reached the last four in Auckland (d. No. 5 Ferrer QF; l. to Ferrero SF). The Frenchman is through to the quarterfinals here for the first time, having fallen second round on his previous two visits here in 2007 and 2006. (ATP Digital Services)
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