TOKYO, Sept. 30 (UPI) -- Top seed Rainer Schuettler cruised Tuesday and four other seeds also advanced in the second round of the Japan Open.
Schuettler needed only 53 minutes to rout Japanese wild card Satoshi Iwabuchi, 6-0, 6-4, and move into the third round of this hardcort event. The 27-year-old Schuettler has reached six semifinals this season, but is seeking his first title.
Sixth-seeded German Nicolas Kiefer won 7-5, 7-6 (9-7) over Alex Bogomolov. Sevenh-seeded Korean Hyung-Taik Lee beat Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, 6-3, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3.
American Jan-Michael Gambill beat Czech Bohdan Ulihrach, 6-3, 6-4, Croatian Mario Ancic beat Japan's Tasuku Iwami, 6-2, 7-5.
On the women's side, third-seeded Slovenian Katarina Srebotnik, No. 4 Shinobu Asagoe of Japan, fifth-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova and sixth-seeded American Ashley Harkleroad each recorded straight-sets wins.
