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Indianapolis, IN - Second-seeded American James Blake advanced to the quarterfinals with an easy victory over Brazilian Ricardo Mello in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2 in second round action at the $575,000 Indianapolis Tennis Championships.

Blake moves one step closer to a possible rematch of last year’s final, an all-American affair between he and Andy Roddick. Top-seeded Roddick advanced to the quarters with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Russian Evgeny Korolev.

In the earlier evening match, Japan’s Kei Nishikori dispatched German Michael Berrer, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

Third-seeded Russian Dmitry Tursunov held off his countryman Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-3, 0-6, 6-2, while promising American Sam Querrey saved two match points before ousting fifth-seeded Croat Ivo Karlovic 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6) on the hardcourts at the Indianapolis Tennis Center.

Quarterfinal action on Friday finds Blake against Querrey, and Nishikori squaring off against third-seed Tursunov. The other quarters will pit the two- time champion Roddick against sixth-seeded Korean

Indianapolis Tennis Championships Men’s Tennis Update - Jul 25 Indianapolis, Indiana

Total Prize Money: $575,000

WEDNESDAY’S SECOND ROUND MATCHES Andy Roddick (1) leads Evgeny Korolev, 6-3, 1-1 Igor Kunitsyn def. Mardy Fish (4), 6-4, retired Hyung-Taik Lee (6) def. Paul Goldstein, 6-3, 6-3 Frank Dancevic def. Juan Martin del Potro, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4

THURSDAY’S SECOND ROUND MATCHES

James Blake (2) vs. Ricardo Mello Dmitry Tursunov (3) vs. Teimuraz Gabashvili Ivo Karlovic (5) vs. Sam Querrey Michael Berrer vs. Kei Nishikori

Notes James Blake is the defending champion.

Indianapolis, IN - Americans Andy Roddick and James Blake, the top two seeds, won their first-round matches Tuesday at the $575,000 Indianapolis Tennis Championships.

Roddick scored a 6-4, 6-0 victory over fellow American Alex Kuznetsov. Blake topped Swede Thomas Johansson, 7-5, 7-6 (11-9) on the hardcourts at the Indianapolis Tennis Center.

Blake defeated Roddick in last year’s Indianapolis finale. Roddick captured this event back-to-back in 2003 and 2004.

Roddick’s second-round opponent will be Russian Evgeny Korolev, while Blake will tangle with Brazilian qualifier Ricardo Mello, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Frenchman Gael Monfils on Tuesday.

Third-seeded Russian Dmitry Tursunov handled American Michael Russell 6-3, 7-5, while fourth-seeded Mardy Fish snuck past fellow American Vincent Spadea 2-6, 7-5, 7-5.

Fifth seed Ivo Karlovic of Croatia beat Brazil’s Andre Sa, 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-3). Sa replaced Nicolas Kiefer, the 2004 runner-up, who withdrew due to a knee injury. Sixth-seeded Korean Hyung-Taik Lee beat American wild card Donald Young, 6-2, 6-4.

In another Day-2 all-American affair, Paul Goldstein topped Robert Kendrick 6-4, 6-4. Additional wins came for Russians Igor Kunitsyn and Teimuraz Gabashvili, and Japanese qualifier Kei Nishikori.

Indianapolis, IN - Germany’s Michael Berrer upset seventh- seeded American Robby Ginepri in three sets to advance to the second round at the $575,000 Indianapolis Tennis Championships.

Berrer, a quarterfinalist last week in Los Angeles, topped Ginepri, the 2005 Indianapolis champion, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Another upset came when Canadian Frank Dancevic dropped eighth-seeded German Benjamin Becker 6-4, 6-3.

American Sam Querrey advanced by handling Frenchman Julien Benneteau 7-6 (8-6), 6-1, while Russian Evgeny Korolev knocked out veteran American Justin Gimelstob 6-2, 6-4; and Argentine Juan Martin del Potro beat American Amer Delic, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) on the hardcourts at the Indianapolis Tennis Center.

This week’s top seeds are last year’s runner-up and two-time champion Andy Roddick and defending titlist James Blake, who bested Roddick in last year’s all-American finale. Roddick titled here in 2003 and 2004.

Roddick will play his first-round match Tuesday night against fellow American Alex Kuznetsov. Blake will also be on the court in the final match of the night against Swede Thomas Johansson.

Indianapolis, Indiana

Total Prize Money: $575,000

MONDAY’S FIRST ROUND MATCHES Michael Berrer def. Robby Ginepri (7), 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 Frank Dancevic def. Benjamin Becker (8), 6-4, 6-3 Evgeny Korolev def. Justin Gimelstob, 6-2, 6-4 Juan Martin del Potro def. Amer Delic, 7-5, 7-6 (7-5) Sam Querrey def. Julien Benneteau, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1

Notes James Blake is the defending champion

Indianapolis, Indiana

Total Prize Money: $575,000

MONDAY’S FIRST ROUND MATCHES

Robby Ginepri (7) vs. Michael Berrer Benjamin Becker (8) vs. Frank Dancevic Justin Gimelstob vs. Evgeny Korolev Juan Martin del Potro vs. Amer Delic Sam Querrey def. Julien Benneteau, 7-6 (8-6), 6-1

Notes James Blake is the defending champion.

Umag, Croatia

Total Prize Money: $400,000

MONDAY’S FIRST ROUND MATCHES

Novak Djokovic (1) leads Pablo Andujar, 6-1, 1-1 Nikolay Davydenko (2) vs. Gilles Simon Carlos Berlocq def. Maximo Gonzalez, 6-3, 6-4 Luca Belic vs. Pere Riba, 2-6, 6-2 Gaston Gaudio vs. Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo Marin Cilic def. Mathieu Montcourt, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1

Notes Stanislas Wawrinka is the defending champion.

Kitzbuhel, Austria

Total Prize Money: $1,078,659

MONDAY’S FIRST ROUND MATCHES

Olivier Patience def. Jan Hajek, 6-3, 6-2 Paul Capdeville def. Hugo Armando, 6-0, 6-3 Luis Horna def. Jeremy Chardy, 7-5, 6-3 Christophe Rochus def. Chris Guccione, 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (12-10) Rainer Eitzinger vs. Max Mirnyi Diego Hartfield def. Martin Fischer, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2

Stuttgart, Germany - Rafael Nadal continued his amazing success on clay with a straight-set victory over Switzerland’s Stanislas Wawrinka in the final of the Mercedes Cup.

The top-seeded Nadal was pushed by the unseeded Wawrinka, but still had enough to pull out a 6-4, 7-5 triumph for his sixth title of 2007 and the 23rd of his brilliant career. He also won this tournament in 2005.

Despite the straight-set scores, Wawrinka was ahead in both sets. Nadal had to win the last three games of the first set, then trailed 2-5 in the second before rallying to win the final five games.

Nadal has now won 93 of his last 94 matches on clay, with his only loss in that span a setback to world No. 1 Roger Federer in a final at Hamburg in May. Of course, Nadal avenged that setback a few weeks later by beating Federer in the French Open final for his third straight championship at Roland Garros.

This was the Spanish sensation’s first tournament since losing to Federer in the final at Wimbledon. Nadal improved to 18-1 lifetime in clay finals and 23-5 in finals on all surfaces.

Wawrinka was trying for his second career ATP title and first since capturing last year’s tournament in Umag. He was also a runner-up two years ago in Gstaad.

This was just the second meeting between the two, with Nadal also winning at this year’s Australian Open.

Stuttgart, Germany - Top-seeded Rafael Nadal advanced to the final at the Mercedes Cup after posting a victory in the semifinals on Saturday.

Nadal, who won this title in 2005, defeated fellow Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, 6-1, 7-5. Nadal has now won 92 of his last 93 matches on clay and is aiming for his sixth title of the year and 23rd overall.

Nadal will meet Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland in Sunday’s final after Wawrinka upset seventh-seeded Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-1.

Wawrinka has just one ATP title to his credit, capturing the crown last year in Umag.

Nadal and Wawrinka have met just once before with the Spaniard winning at this year’s Australian Open.