Washington, DC - Top-seeded American Andy Roddick cruised past Czech Tomas Zib, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the third round at the $600,000 Legg Mason Tennis Classic.
Roddick, who titled at this event in 2001 and 2005, has compiled a 19-3 record and the two titles in his five Washington appearances. He missed last year’s event due to an abdominal strain.
Third-seeded Russian Marat Safin and fifth-seeded South Korean Hyung-Taik Lee also won their second-round encounters on the hardcourts at FitzGerald Tennis Center. Safin topped Czech Jan Hernych, 6-2, 2-6, 6-2; and Lee beat Russian Igor Kunitsyn, 6-7 (7-9), 6-3, 6-1.
Ninth seed Gael Monfils of France beat Slovakian wild card Martin Klizan, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; American Amer Delic, the 13th seed, rallied past Chilean Paul Capdeville, 6-7 (5-7), 7-5; and Dutchman Robin Haase squeezed past 14th-seeded Frenchman Michael Llodra, 6-2, 6-7 (7-9), 7-6 (7-4) in second-round action.
Additional first-round wins came for South Africans Wesley Moodie and Wesley Whitehouse, Japan’s Kei Nishikori, Americans Paul Goldstein, Wayne Odesnik and John Isner, and Germany’s Michael Berrer.
Frenchman Arnaud Clement is the defending champion and will play his second- round match Wednesday against Swede Thomas Johansson.
