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Aisam reaches Newport quarter-finals

NEWPORT: Pakistani qualifier Aisamul Haq Qureshi continued to impress Wednesday, booking a quarter-final berth in the $416,000 Tennis Hall of Fame Championships.

Qureshi, ranked 214th in the world, opened his campaign in the grasscourt tournament with a bang, eliminating top seed Mardy Fish in straight sets. On Wednesday, he followed up with a 7-6 (7/2), 5-7, 6-4 victory over Nathan Healey of Australia. Unseeded Dick Norman of Belgium awaits Qureshi in the quarter-finals after ousting eighth-seeded Michael Berrer of Germany 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (8/6). This will be the first meeting between the two. Second-seeded American Vince Spadea bidding to return to the final here after a first-round ouster last year, advanced with a 6-3, 7-5 second-round victory over Chile’s Paul Capdeville. Spadea reached the final here in 2005 before falling to Greg Rusedski of Britain. However, he followed up that effort with a disappointing opening-round exit here last year, losing to fellow American Robert Kendrick in three sets.

Next up for Spadea is South African veteran Wesley Moodie, who beat Roko Karanusic of Croatia 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. The final match of the first round was also completed Wednesday as fourth-seeded Fabrice Santoro of France defeated Alexander Peya of Austria 6-4, 6-1. Santoro will meet unseeded Frank Dancevic of Canada in the second round. The two have faced each other only once, with Santoro earning a straight-sets hardcourt victory at Toronto in 2002. afp

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