Top seed Andy Roddick eased into the quarterfinals of the ATP side of the men’s and women’s tennis tournaments playing in Memphis on Wednesday with a straight-set victory over France’s Arnaud Clement.
Roddick, seeking his 17th career ATP title and his second in as many weeks, cruised past Clement 6-3, 6-3 in a second-round clash.
Roddick, who won the title in San Jose, California, on Sunday, has dropped just 13 games in his two matches in Memphis thus far.
In the round of eight, the 22-year-old will face another American, either sixth seed Mardy Fish or Robby Ginepri.
Last year, Roddick reached the quarterfinals of this dual event — women are competing in a concurrent WTA Tour event — before falling to Sweden’s Thomas Enqvist.
The other three men’s matches of the day were all first-round encounters. Second seed Tommy Haas of Germany got safely through with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over American qualifier Jeff Salzenstein.
Seventh-seeded Jurgen Melzer of Austria was upset by Wayne Arthurs.
Joachim Johansson of Sweden won the men’s tournament last year but is not defending his title after capturing the Open 13 event in Marseille on Sunday. He is playing this week in Rotterdam.
On the women’s side, top seed and defending champion Vera Zvonareva of Russia defeated Severine Beltrame of France 7-6 (7/0), 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.
She next faces wild card Katerina Bondarenko of the Ukraine, who defeated American qualifier Angela Haynes 7-6 (7/3), 7-5.
Third-seeded Meghann Shaughnessy defeated Hana Sromova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2.
Shaughnessy awaits Cho Yoon Jeong in the round of eight after the South Korean beat American Abigail Spears 6-4, 6-4.
Seventh seed Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic beat Kristina Brandi of Puerto Rico, 6-2, 6-2.
And eighth-seeded Evgenia Linetskaya of Russia beat Yuka Yoshida of Japan 6-2, 6-2 to set up a quarterfinal clash with another Japanese, Akiko Morigami, who outlasted wild card Michaella Krajicek of The Netherlands 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (9/7), 6-4. — Sapa-AFP