Tennis: Malisse ousts Roddick at Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tennessee: Belgian veteran Xavier Malisse upset US second seed Andy Roddick 7-6 (10/8), 7-5 on Wednesday to reach the second round of the $1.375 million ATP and WTA Memphis Open.

Malisse fired 12 aces, twice as many as Roddick, to advance into a second-round matchup on Thursday against Germany's Benjamin Becker, who eliminated Israel's Dudi Sela 6-4, 6-1.

South African seventh seed Kevin Anderson fired 19 aces in advancing 7-5, 6-3 over US qualifier Robby Ginepri in 75 minutes. Anderson, who next faces US wildcard Sam Querrey, could face US top seed John Isner in the semi-finals.

On the women's side, three seeded players were eliminated in second-round matches, leaving New Zealand's fourth-seeded Marina Erakovic as the only seed in the quarter-finals.

Italy's Alberta Brianti ousted Kazak second seed Ksenia Pervak 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 while Ukranian Lesia Tsurenko outlasted Czech third seed Lucie Hradecka 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).

Swede Sofia Arvidsson downed French fifth seed Pauline Parmentier 7-6 (7/5), 0-6, 6-3. (AFP)