DELRAY BEACH, Florida (AP)—Second-seeded Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and third-seeded Benjamin Becker of Germany won first-round matches at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships on Tuesday.
Seventh-seeded James Blake, a 2008 Delray Beach finalist, fought until after midnight to take a 6-1, 3-6, 5-3 lead over fellow American Taylor Dent. But he couldn’t take advantage of three match points before rain suspended the match at deuce. Play is scheduled to resume on Wednesday with Dent poised to eliminate the seventh-seeded Blake.
The 2.05-meter (6-foot-10) Karlovic is known for his big serving, so he was not impressed with only posting 19 aces in his 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over Philipp Petzschner of Germany.
“I don’t know what happened today,” said the 33rd-ranked Karlovic. “Disappointing. Only 19 aces. No good.”
Becker ousted 2008 Delray Beach champion Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-3, 1-6, 6-0.
Becker took control in the third set to earn the win, saving one break point at 30-40 in the fifth game.
Two-time Delray Beach champion Xavier Malisse of Belgium fell to fourth-seeded Jeremy Chardy of France 6-3, 7-6 (5), while Germany’s Florian Mayer, seeded sixth, was too good for Australia’s Nick Lindahl, winning 6-4, 6-1.
Defending champion Mardy Fish appeared in danger of being bounced from the tournament, but moved into the second round when Christophe Rochus of Belgium retired with a bad back at 5-7, 6-3, 3-3.
The 73rd-ranked Fish underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in September, and used his few months of recuperation time to start a diet and shed drop 11 kilograms (25 pounds).
“He as an annoying game, for sure,” Fish said of Rochus. “He makes a lot of balls, has great hands and good returns.
“Someone who makes good returns can be a nightmare for someone like me.”
Ernests Gulbis of Latvia, Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen and Robin Haase of the Netherlands were other winners Tuesday, along with German pair Mischa Zverev and Daniel Brands, plus Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo.