Troicki, Verdasco advance in Washington

Lisicki beats Date-Krumm at San Diego event.

WASHINGTON:

Serbian third-seed Viktor Troicki and Spanish fifth-seed Fernando Verdasco advanced to the third round of the rain-hit $1.4 million ATP Legg Mason Tennis Classic.

World number 15 Troicki, whose only ATP title came last year at Moscow, fired 13 aces in ousting American Ryan Harrison 7-5, 6-2 while Verdasco, seeking his sixth ATP crown, beat Australian qualifier Marinko Matosevic 6-4, 6-4.

Russian former world number three Nikolay Davydenko, now ranked 30th, beat Aussie qualifier Matthew Ebden 6-3, 7-5, to book a third-round date with Verdasco.

Stephens shocks Goerges in San Diego

Meanwhile, US teenager Sloane Stephens shocked seventh-seeded German Julia Goerges 6-3, 7-5 at the WTA Mercury Insurance Open to earn her first career victory over a top 20 player.

“I had nothing to lose, but I wasn’t expecting a win,” said Stephens. “She played well and made a few mistakes. She’s still an awesome player. I’m happy with this victory.”

In other matches, Russian Vera Dushevina ousted Slovenian Polona Hercog 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 while France’s Virginie Razzano continued her successful hard-court form by taking out New Zealand’s Marina Erakovic 6-1, 6-3.

Similarly, Wimbledon semi-finalist Sabine Lisicki, seeded 12th, overwhelmed 40-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm of Japan 6-1, 6-2. The German will next face local favourite Coco Vandeweghe, who beat lucky loser Olga Savchuk of Ukraine 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2011.