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Asian ace plays through pain and into Indy quarters

Other News Materials 18 July 2008 01:35 (UTC +04:00)

Taiwan's Lu Yen-Hsun continued this week's season turnaround, becoming the second Asian player in two years to move into the quarter-finals of the Indianapolis Tennis Championships on Thursday .

The number 77 who had stopped the rot this week after six consecutive first-round losses on the ATP dating to February, beat American Rajeev Ram 6-1, 7-6 (7/1) in the second round, the dpa reported.

Lu has also played quarter-finals in San Jose last February and a year earlier in Memphis. He follows South Korea's Lee Hyung-taik (2007) into the Indy last eight.

Bobby Reynolds celebrated a 26th birthday with a rout of Colombian Alejandro Falla 6-1, 6-1.

The number 90, last American standing at Wimbledon when he lost in the third round, will play in only the third quarter of his top-level career.

"It was hot out there," said Reynolds. "I didn't expect the match to go like this.

"I didn't play at even half of my level. I didn't serve well but I was pleased with my returns. You just hope that your best tennis will come in the next match."

Reynolds will face a compatriot on after rapping Florida veteran Vince Spadea takes on fourth seed Sam Querrey of California.

Reynolds took just over an hour to crush number 117 Falla. He was spending his birthday evening watching his next two potential opponents meet.

"You know what you are getting with both of them," said Reynolds, who upset Marat Safin in the Miami first round last spring. "Vince puts a lot of balls back and Sam will try to hurt you with his big serve."

Lu received on-court treatment for back pain but showed no sign of discomfort as he completed his straight-sets win.

"I felt the problem in the first set when I was a bit tight," said Lu, winner of eight Challenger titles including one in Missouri. "It got worse in the second. I felt more pain but I took my chances in the tiebreaker to win."

Lu next plays either top seed James Blake or fellow Asian contender in Korea's Jun Woong-Sun.

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