Mon Aug 18 17:11:14 2008

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Ginepri, Isner reach second round in New Haven

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New Haven, CT (Sports Network) - American wild cards Robby Ginepri and John Isner were among the Day-2 first-round winners at the $708,000 Pilot Pen Tennis event, a final U.S. Open tune-up.

Ginepri grounded Peruvian Luis Horna 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, while the 6-foot-9 Isner got past Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-4, 6-4 on the hardcourts at the Connecticut Tennis Center.

Another American advanced Monday when Wayne Odesnik toppled veteran Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean 7-5, 6-4.

In other opening-round action, Slovenian qualifier Luka Gregorc defeated Paraguayan qualifier Ramon Delgado 6-2, 3-6, 6-0; Belgian Steve Darcis beat American Vincent Spadea 7-5, 5-0, retired; German Denis Gremelmayr overcame Brazilian Marcos Daniel 3-6, 6-3, 6-3; Belgian Olivier Rochus handled Russian Evgeny Korolev 6-4, 6-4; Italian Potito Starace stopped Czech Jiri Vanek 6-2, 7-6 (9-7); Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez bested Aussie Chris Guccione 7-5, 6-3; and Italian Fabio Fognini erased Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti 6-4, 4-4, retired. The qualifier Spadea quit with a lower back injury against Darcis, while Lapentti gave way to a left knee injury versus Fognini. Garcia-Lopez is rewarded with a second-rounder against red-hot Argentine Juan Martin del Potro, who has won his last four tournaments and 19 straight matches.

American James Blake beat compatriot Mardy Fish in last year's hardcourt final here. Blake, who also titled here in 2005, is not defending his title this week.

The 2008 U.S. Open will commence next Monday in New York.