Rate it!

14 votes

Fourth seed Novak Djokovic moved into the third round of the Cincinnati Masters with a 7-6(5) 6-4 victory over Croatian Ivan Ljubicic.

The Serb, runner-up last year, edged the first set and then broke once at the beginning of the second to secure a meeting with either American John Isner or Jeremy Chardy of France.

The match was played in overcast conditions and with the temperature expected to rise significantly later in the day, Djokovic said he had been fortunate.

"I think I was a bit lucky today to play first," he said. "It can get very hot here so it's best to either play first or late at night."

Sam Querrey pulled off a shock 7-6(11) 7-6(3) win over number six seed Andy Roddick. Roddick looked out of sorts for much of the match, despite holding set points in the first set and going a break up in the second.

But the big-serving American still felt that he is in with a chance of winning at Flushing Meadows.

"To be honest I played well and I feel prepared for the Open," Roddick said. "That's what you want to get out of this stretch.

"I'm disappointed that I couldn't play better here in Cincinnati, which is a place that I enjoy playing. But as far as the Open goes, I'm not too worried about the setback."

French seventh seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga was the other high-profile casualty, losing 7-6(12) 6-2 to Australian qualifier Chris Guccione in the second round.

Tsonga, who beat Roger Federer in Montreal last week, lost the first-set tiebreak 14-12 after the big-serving Guccione saved three set points.

Tsonga lost the first-set tiebreak 14-12 after the big-serving Guccione saved five set points.

The world 124 then cruised through the second set and clinched victory with his 20th ace. Guccione now plays either Czech Tomas Berdych or Philipp Petzschner of Germany.

Lleyton Hewitt had no trouble in disposing of Germany's Benjamin Becker 6-3 6-3.

Paul-Henri Mathieu of France set up a possible third-round meeting with Rafael Nadal by beating Ivo Karlovic of Croatia 7-6(9) 6-4 while Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain ousted Russian Mikhail Youzhny 7-5 6-3.

Reuters