Former champ Safin advances at Open

FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y., Aug. 26 (UPI) -- Former champion Marat Safin of Russia advanced Tuesday at the U.S. Open with a hard-fought 3-6, 6-2, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 victory over veteran American Vincent Spadea.

Safin, former world No. 1 and two-time major tournament titlist, won the U.S. Open back in 2000. He will meet Spaniard Tommy Robredo in the second round.

Former Top-5 German star Tommy Haas beat 12th-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet in another five-setter, 6-7 (3-7), 6-4, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2. Haas reached the U.S. Open quarterfinals in three of the previous four years.

In other action involving Top-16 seeds, No. 13 Spaniard Fernando Verdasco beat Russian Igor Kunitsyn 6-3, 6-4, 6-1; No. 15 Robredo defeated German Mischa Zverev 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, 6-1; and 6-foot-10 No. 14 Croat Ivo Karlovic ousted Czech Jan Minar 7-5, 6-1, 6-4.

Also, American Sam Querrey beat Czech Tomas Berdych 6-3, 6-1, 6-2, and Italian Andreas Seppi defeated Korean Hyung-Taik Lee 6-3, 7-5, 3-6, 3-6, 6-3.