Thu Aug 28 16:13:21 2008

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Ferrer, Murray, Blake reach third round in Flushing

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Flushing Meadows, NY (Sports Network) - Fourth-seeded Spaniard David Ferrer, sixth-seeded Brit Andy Murray and ninth-seeded American favorite James Blake were a trio of second-round winners Thursday at the 2008 U.S. Open, the fourth and final major of the year.

Ferrer overcame German Andreas Beck 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) on the hardcourts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Ferrer reached the semifinals here a year ago and was last year's Masters Cup runner-up to the great Roger Federer.

Murray, like Ferrer, also had his hands full on Day 4, as the Scotsman snuck past French lefthander Michael Llodra 6-4, 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (9-7). The talented Murray has never advanced beyond the fourth round in Flushing.

Up next for the rising Murray will be another lefty, Austrian Jurgen Melzer.

Blake was leading Steve Darcis 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 when the Belgian retired due to an injury. The Yonkers, New York native Blake reached back-to-back quarterfinals here in 2005 and 2006.

The 28-year-old Blake will battle good friend and fellow American Mardy Fish in the round of 32. Fish, a runner-up in New Haven last week, toppled 24th- seeded Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 with the help of a whopping 27 aces.

The 26-year-old Fish will play in his first-ever third-round match here at the National Tennis Center, where he's making his ninth straight appearance.

Tenth-seeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka moved on by handling American Wayne Odesnik 6-4, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2. Wawrinka captured a men's doubles gold medal, alongside Federer, in Beijing earlier this month.

Additional second-round wins came for Japan's Kei Nishikori and the aforementioned Melzer.