Richard Gasquet Sees Off Nikolay Davydenko

Richard Gasquet ended Nikolay Davydenko's U.S. Open hopes as he saw off the sixth seed in an impressive straight sets display.

Davydenko is slowly coming back to form after being out for twelve weeks earlier in the season with a broken wrist but he was no match from some inspired play from the Frenchman.

Gasquet dictated play from the start and it was an unusually scruffy performance from Davydenko as he notched up thirty two unforced errors to just twenty four winners.

He was unable to convert any of the eight break point chances that came his way while Gasquet broke on four of the seven occasions he created. It was a great performance from Gasquet as he showed the form that had seen him reach the top ten only a couple of years ago.

He was confident off both sides as well as being good at the net and strong from the baseline as he pushed Davydenko, who usually takes time off his opponents, from side to side.

But Gasquet had to wait until the sixth game of the opening set to finally make the breakthrough and lead 4-2. After saving a break point in the next game he served out the set to take the opener.

He broke in the seventh game of the second and easily saw out the set as Davydenko had no answers for this passage of play. The start of the third saw Gasquet break again as Davydenko seemed to lack any fight.

After just an hour and fifty one minutes on court Gasquet wrapped up a 6-3 6-4 6-2 victory.

He will now face Kevin Anderson after the South African came through a mammoth five set match with Thomaz Bellucci eventually winning 7-6 (7-4) 4-6 7-5 4-6 7-6 (7-2).

Mardy Fish was also in action yesterday as he handed out his third bagel set of the tournament to see off Pablo Cuevas 7-5 6-0 6-2. The American had to come through in five sets in his opening match but it was business as usual as his good run of form continued.

But the first break of the match went to Cuevas and he looked to be on his way to the opening set until Fish broke back to level the set at 5-5. A hold and a second break of serve saw Fish take the opening set.

It was one way traffic in the second set as Fish was all over Cuevas' serve as he handed out an impressive bagel set. He took the final two sets with the loss of just two game to win 7-5 6-0 6-2.

He will now face Arnaud Clement as he progressed to the third round when his opponent Eduardo Schwank retired at 6-3 5-5.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw