Rate it!

0 votes

American top seed Mardy Fish was sent crashing out of the ATP Newport event, losing his opening match to lowly qualifier Rohan Bopanna 7-6 (6) 7-5.

Bopanna, who turned pro six years ago and is ranked 374th in the world, stunned Fish with 14 aces and reached the quarter-finals for the first time in his career.

"I was not concerned about what ranking he was," Bopanna said. "I was aggressive and kept it simple."

Bopanna, of India, also beat American Kevin Kim in the first round en route to stringing together consecutive wins at an ATP circuit event for the first time in his career.

Entering this 385,000 dollar grasscourt event with just a career 7-18 record, the 28-year-old Bopanna converted on three of his four break chances.

Bopanna's next opponent will be countryman Prakash Amritraj, a 7-5 6-3 winner over American Jesse Levine.

"It is extremely disappointing," Fish said. "Every year I come in thinking I have the game and I am ready. Every year I leave here scratching my head."

Also in the top half of the draw, seventh seed Canadian Frank Dancevic continued his quest for his first title of the season.

Dancevic advanced to his first showing in the quarters since August of last year, rallying against American Brendan Evans, 5-7 6-4 7-6 (3).

Dancevic, who toppled seventh seed David Nalbandian in the first round at Wimbledon, will next square off with Igor Kunitsyn of Russia.

Kunitsyn, who failed to make it past the second round in two previous appearances here, rolled over countryman Mikhail Ledovskikh, 6-1 6-1.

AFP