Tue May 20 14:54:22 2008

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Ljubicic, Querrey advance at wet Hypo Group event

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Portschach, Austria (Sports Network) - Third-seeded Croat Ivan Ljubicic and fifth-seeded American Sam Querrey posted opening-round wins Tuesday at the rainy Hypo Group International tennis tournament, a final clay-court French Open tuneup. Inclement weather has affected play here over the first three days.

Ljubicic snuck past Czech qualifier Jan Hajek 4-6, 6-0, 6-3, while Querrey overcame Austrian wild card Oliver Marach 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in a match that was suspended because of rain here on Monday. Rain completely washed out play here on Sunday and, combined with darkness, forced seven first-round matches to be either suspended or postponed on Tuesday.

Four other seeds had their first-rounders postponed on Day 3, as No. 2 Argentine Juan Monaco, No. 4 American Mardy Fish, No. 7 Croat Mario Ancic and No. 8 Dutchman Robin Haase will have to wait until Wednesday to open their weeks here. Monaco is the reigning champion here, having beaten Frenchman Gael Monfils in last year's Portschach finale.

American John Isner got in his first-rounder on Tuesday and drilled Italian qualifier Simone Vagnozzi 6-3, 6-2, with the help of 11 aces, at Werzer Tennis Arena. Isner is rewarded with a second-rounder against top-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko, who titled here back-to-back in 2005 and 2006.