INDIANAPOLIS (TICKER) -- James Blake made quick work of Brazilian Ricardo Mello to advance to the quarterfinals of the $525,000 Indianapolis Tennis Championships.
Blake, the tourney's defending champion, needed 68 minutes to defeat Mello, 6-4, 6-2.
Blake defeated top-seeded Andy Roddick in three sets in last year's event here. It prevented Roddick from winning this event for the third time in four years.
The 27-year-old Blake, who is seeking his 10th career tournament victory, next faces unseeded American Sam Querrey.
The 6-6 Querrey rallied to upset fifth-seeded Croatian Ivo Karlovic, 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (8-6) at this hardcourt event. The 6-10 Karlovic, who had match point at both 5-4 and 6-5 in the final set, could not deliver and Querrey won the final three points to close out the match.
Also advancing to the quarterfinals on Thursday was No. 2 Dmitry Tursunov, who ousted fellow Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2.
In the fourth match of the day, 17-year-old qualifier Kei Nishikori of Japan, in just his second ATP Tour tournament, defeated German Michael Berrer, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. He will face Tursunov in the quarterfinals.
First prize is $73,000.