Two-time champion Querrey advances at Farmers Classic

July 26, 2012 01:11 AM
Sam Querrey won his opening match in LA.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -  Two-time champion Sam Querrey won his opening match in the Farmers Classic, beating Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday night at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. 
 
Querrey, the 2009 and 2010 tournament winner who missed the event last year after undergoing surgery for a right shoulder injury, had nine aces and didn't face a break point in the 53-minute match on UCLA's campus.
 
``I feel like it's my tournament to win (again),'' Querrey said. ``I thought I played great. ``I served really well, a lot of energy, and I thought I hit my forehand great. There were a couple of little thing I could nitpick here and there but overall I thought it was really good. I thought my forehand was pretty dominating. He couldn't really go there, so I thought that was what I did best.

In the quarterfinals Friday, the American will face fifth-seeded Xavier Malisse of Belgium or Matthew Ebden of Austria.

``I feel like if I keep serving well and hit my forehand well it's my tournament to win,'' Querrey said.

Earlier, Rajeev Ram beat Chile's Paul Capdeville 6-3, 6-1 in another second-round match.

The American lost only nine points on serve and had 10 aces. He dominated the 64-minute match with that serve, winning 85 percent of his first-serve points (22-26) and 69 percent on his second serve (11-16).

``I just tried to get as many balls in (play) as I could,'' said Ram, who beat former junior doubles partner Brian Baker in the first round. ``I also served well. It's important to win consecutive matches. That's what the top guys do. This was an important step for me. I'm trying to compete hard and not make too many errors. I don't want to beat myself out there.''

Ram set up a match against third-seeded Leonardo Mayer of Argentina. Mayer had a 6-0, 4-0 lead when Italy's Flavio Cipolla retired because of a neck injury.

Ram won the singles and doubles titles in Newport, R.I., in 2009, beating Querrey in the singles final, and made the semifinals there this year.

 

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