Thu May 29 10:17:32 2008

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Nalbandian, Blake bow out in Paris

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Paris, France (Sports Network) - Sixth-seeded Argentine David Nalbandian and seventh-seeded American James Blake were a pair of second-round upset victims Thursday at the 2008 French Open.

The former Tennis Masters Cup champion and former Wimbledon runner-up Nalbandian was shocked by 145th-ranked French wild card Jeremy Chardy 3-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, while Blake was bounced by rising Latvian Ernests Gulbis 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Day 5 at Roland Garros. The world No. 7 Nalbandian reached the French Open semifinals in 2004 and 2006, while Blake, who struggles mightily on clay, has never made it past the third round at this Parisian major. Blake has fallen in the first or second round here in five out of six trips.

Meanwhile, 15th-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny crushed Argentine Maximo Gonzalez 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 and 30th-seeded Russian Dmitry Tursunov trounced Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 7-6 (7-4), 6-0, 6-0.

American Bobby Reynolds lost to Ecuadorian veteran Nicolas Lapentti 7-5, 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.