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Tennis: Almagro, Verdasco advance at Mexican Open Top-seeded David Ferrer and second-seeded Nicolas Almagro advanced to the quarterfinals of the Mexican Open in contrasting styles Wednesday
Ferrer beat Poland's Lukasz Kobot 6-3, 6-3, setting up a quarterfinal against another Spaniard in Pablo Andujar, who upset fifth-seeded Florian Mayer of Germany 4-6, 7-5, 6-4. Two-time champion Almagro had more of a struggle, coming from a set down to defeat Benoit Paire of France 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. The second-seeded Spaniard lost serve twice to drop the first set, but settled and took control of the match to win in it in more than two hours at The Fairmont Acapulco Princess. Almagro, who won the Mexican Open in 2008 and 2009 and was runner-up to Ferrer last year, will next meet Spanish compatriot Fernando Verdasco, who defeated Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina 6-4, 6-2. The No. 7-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain fell 6-4, 6-3 to Santiago Giraldo of Colombia. Giraldo will next face Argentina's Carlos Berlocq, who was a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Italy's Potito Starace. Frenchman Jeremy Chardy also scraped into the last eight, turning around the match after a poor first set to win a tight second-set tiebreaker then rolling over fourth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan in the final frame to win 1-6, 7-6 (8), 6-0. Chardy's quarterfinal opponent will be Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka, who downed Spaniard Albert Ramos 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. In the women's tournament, the three top-seeded Italians all progressed. Top-seeded Roberta Vinci beat Stephanie Foretz Gacon of France 7-5, 6-4. She will next face Dutch player Michaella Krajicek, who edged Italy's Alberta Brianti 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (2). Second-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta held off Sweden's Sofia Arvidsson 2-6, 7-6 (2), 6-1. Pennetta's quarterfinal opponent will be qualifier Mariana Duque-Marino of Colombia, who upset sixth-seeded Johanna Larsson of Sweden 4-6, 6-1, 6-3. The other top Italian contender, third-seeded Sara Errani, cruised past Romanian qualifier Edina Gallovits-Hall 6-4, 6-1 and will next take on lucky loser Estrella Cabeza Candela of Spain, who downed Hungarian Melinda Czink 6-4, 7-6 (5). The No. 4-seeded Irina-Camelia Begu of Romania ousted Anna Tatishvili of Georgia 6-3, 6-1, setting up a third-round clash with Slovakia's Magdalena Rybarikova, who prevailed over local wild card Ximena Hermoso 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter: @AO Sports)
