NEWPORT, R.I., July 8 (UPI) -- James Blake of the United States was one of the top three seeds to fall Tuesday in the first round of the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships.
In the upset of the day, unheralded Frenchman Gregory Carraz eliminated the top-seeded Blake, 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 6-4. A No. 1 seed has not been able to win the title at Newport in 27 years.
Defending champion and second-seeded Taylor Dent of the United States, who beat Blake in last year's final, withdrew with a tendon injury in his right hand before his first-round match against Swiss George Bastl.
Jeff Salzenstein replaced Dent and beat Bastl, 6-1, 6-3. American Alex Kim will be Salzenstein's second-round opponent after bouncing Japanese qualifier Thomas Shimada, 7-5, 6-3.
No. 3 American Mardy Fish lost to Serbian qualifier Dusan Vemic, 6-7 (3-7), 5-7.
