Michael Llodra

Nikolay Davydenko kept on rolling at the Kremlin Cup.

The top-seeded Russian opened the $1 million hardcourt event Tuesday with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Frenchman Florent Serra.

The two-time reigning champion of this event, Davydenko ran his winning streak here to 11 matches and appears primed to extend the run with unseeded Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez awaiting him in the second round.

Q. If there had been a challenge system on that call, could you have proven the world record?

ANDY MURRAY: I think it was just one part of the court that lines judge was struggling with pretty badly was on the ?? from the umpire's chair to the umpire's left. On the far line, you know, there was good five, six calls that every single one I think was ?? I mean, there was like four or five that were for sure, and then there was a couple that ?? there was one second serve that he hit that was so far out.

Sixth seed Andy Murray dug deep to reach the third round of the U.S. Open on Thursday, beating Frenchman Michael Llodra 6-4 1-6 7-5 7-6 in a tough test of his title credentials.

World number 38 Llodra outplayed the Scot in the second set and had two set points to force a decider but Murray held on to set up a clash with Austrian Juergen Melzer.

One break gave Murray the first set but Llodra attacked his second serve to great effect in the second to level the match.

Men’s top-seed Rafael Nadal and women’s No. 1 Ana Ivanovic lead an all-star cast into action today at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, as the 2008 US Open rolls on. Sharing the Day Four marquee are Venus and Serena Williams, James Blake, Andy Murray, David Ferrer, Mardy Fish, Dinara Safina and a host of tennis’ top talents, all determined to finish first in second-round play.
 

Andy Murray believes his rivals now know he is a force to be reckoned with in grand slam tournaments.

The British number one faces Michael Llodra in the second round of the US Open this evening as he looks to build on a quarter-final appearance in his last grand slam at Wimbledon.

After years of questions over his physical shape, Murray now appears to have all the weapons required to challenge the planet's best players - a fact reflected in his ascent to number six in the ATP rankings.

Richard Gasquet advanced through an all-French showdown at the Cincinnati Masters with a minimum of effort on Tuesday as Michael Llodra retired trailing 3-6, 6-1, 1-0 with an arm injury.

"I saw it when I break him at 4-2 in the first set," said Gasquet, 23-15 this season.

"It was difficult for me. I wasn't in a great shape and it was hot."

This was the second straight meeting between the two, with Gasquet also winning their first-round contest a week ago in Toronto.

Mary Pierce has withdrawn from next month's Olympics with an undisclosed injury.
 
Pierce, 33, has not played since she underwent knee surgery in 2006, but the two-time grand slam winner was a surprise inclusion among the original French delegation named at the start of the month.
 

Richard Gasquet defeated fellow Frenchman Michael Llodra 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 Monday in the opening round of the Rogers Cup.

Ninth-seeded Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland defeated Simone Bolelli of Italy 6-4, 7-6 (4) and Nicolas Kiefer of Germany defeated Mardy Fish of the United States 7-5, 7-6 (4) before rain suspended play for about 2 hours.

German tennis legend Boris Becker will be inducted into the Rogers Cup Hall of Fame later Monday. He will play an exhibition match against doubles star Daniel Nestor of Toronto on center court.

Amelie Mauresmo's singles status has been restored and she now appears intent on playing the Beijing Olympics.
 
The International Tennis Federation announced Mauresmo has replaced Mary Pierce in the women's singles draw for Beijing.
 
The Olympic tennis event will be staged Sunday, August 10 through Sunday, August  17 at the new Olympic Tennis Center in Beijing, China. The competition will include 64-player men’s and women’s singles draws and a 32-team draw in men’s and women’s doubles.
 

Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Stefan Koubek and Karin Knapp have withdrawn from the Olympic tennis tournament because of injuries on Tuesday.

The 23-year-old Tsonga, who lost to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final, is still undergoing physical therapy following a knee operation, according to the French tennis federation.

"In agreement with Bernard Montalvan, doctor for the French team, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga believes he is not ready to participate in the games," the French federation said in a statement.