INQUIRER Sports

NEW YORK?Russian sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko, twice a US Open semi-finalist, became the latest high-ranked contender ousted at the US Open, falling 6-3, 6-4, 6-2 Thursday to 38th-ranked Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

Gasquet, among a record 12 Frenchmen to reach the second round at Flushing Meadows, lost only seven of 52 points on his first serve to dominate Davydenko, who fell to Roger Federer in the 2006 and 2007 US Open semi-finals.

Davydenko made his quickest US Open exit since 2005 while Gasquet advanced to a third-round match against either South African Kevin Anderson or Brazilian 26th seed Thomasz Bellucci.

Other US Open seeds already ousted include No. 7 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic and US ninth seed Andy Roddick.

Swiss second seed Federer, who has won a record 16 Grand Slam titles and reached the past six US Open finals, faced Germany's Andreas Beck in a later match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

US 19th seed Mardy Fish, who won twice in July and reached the final of the last major US Open tuneup at Cincinnati, fired 14 aces and reached the third round by eliminating Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas 7-5, 6-0, 6-2.

"My legs won me a few points at the end of the first set," Fish said. "To win the first set was huge."

Next in Fish's path is France's Arnaud Clement, the oldest man still in the event at 32. Clement advanced in 96 minutes, leading 6-3, 5-5 when Argentina's Eduardo Schwank retired with an ankle injury.

Fish said he feels like he can crack the world top-10 by Wimbledon next year and is confident he could win a possible fourth-round match against third seed Novak Djokovic.

"I've never put myself in position to be a guy who is talked about at a Grand Slam," Fish said. "I'd love another crack at a top-5, top-10 player in a Slam. I've beaten a couple but not deep into a tournament.

"Getting myself in position to play a Djokovic or Davydenko, I certainly feel like I can win."

Serbia's Djokovic was set to face Germany's 52nd-ranked Philipp Petzschner in a night match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Spanish 21st seed Albert Montanes advanced by ousting Australian wild card Carsten Ball 6-4, 6-3, 6-1.