Thu Jul 17 15:28:31 2008

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Melzer reaches quarters at rainy Austrian Open

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Kitzbuhel, Austria (Sports Network) - Austrian crowd favorite Jurgen Melzer was Thursday's lone second-round winner at the clay-court Austrian Open.

The sixth-seeded Melzer leveled Argentine Leonardo Mayer 6-4, 6-2 amid soggy conditions at Sportpark.

Three other matches were suspended on Day 4, as Czech Jan Hernych was leading second-seeded Wimbledon semifinalist Rainer Schuettler of Germany 6-2, 4-6, 3-2; seventh-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro was ahead of fellow Argentine Sergio Roitman 6-2, 2-2; and France's Nicolas Devilder was up on Austrian wild card Alexander Peya 6-4, 4-2 when play was suspended until Friday. Del Potro is fresh off his first-ever ATP title in Stuttgart last week.

Only two of Friday's quarterfinals have been determined, as Romanian Victor Hanescu will take on Argentine Brian Dabul and fourth-seeded Italian Potito Starace will face fifth-seeded Argentine Eduardo Schwank. Starace was last year's runner-up here to Argentine Juan Monaco, while the surging Hanescu has won seven straight matches, including his first-ever ATP title in Gstaad last week.

The 2008 Kitzbuhel titlist will claim $185,000.