Thu Apr 17 00:00:10 2008

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Blake, Fish advance in Houston; Querrey falls

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Houston, TX (Sports Network) - Americans James Blake and Mardy Fish each breezed through their respective rounds, while compatriot Sam Querrey made an early exit Wednesday at the $436,000 U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships.

The top-seeded Blake easily handled Japanese wildcard Kei Nishikori 6-4, 6-4 to set up a meeting with 15-year-old American Ryan Harrison on Thursday.

Harrison upset Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas 6-4 6-3 in first-round action Monday to join Frenchman Richard Gasquet and Spaniard Rafael Nadal as the only players since 1990 to win ATP matches while under the age of 16.

Querrey, meanwhile, dropped a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 decision to Chilean Nicolas Massu in a marathon battle lasting two hours, 48 minutes.

Massu, who was the runner-up here in 2000, will next battle Brazil's Marcos Daniel, who dismissed Serbian Viktor Troicki 6-3, 6-4.

In other opening-round action at River Oaks Country Club, Chilean Paul Capdeville handled Argentine qualifier Diego Hartfield 6-0, 6-4, while Aussie Peter Luczak topped Israeli qualifier Harel Levy 6-4, 6-4.

In second round action, eighth-seeded Spaniard Oscar Hernandez got past American Donald Young 6-4 6-4, while the third-seeded Fish upended fellow American Hugo Armando 6-3, 6-2. .

Fish captured this event in 2006. The 2008 titlist here will pocket $68,800.