Harrison ousted top seed in Sydney

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SYDNEY, Jan. 9 (UPI) -- Ryan Harrison eliminated top-seeded John Isner in second-round play Wednesday at the Apia International tennis tournament in Sydney.

Harrison didn't drop his serve in beating Isner 6-4, 6-4. Harrison lost 16 points in 10 games serving and saved the three break points Isner managed. Isner had 10 aces but Harrison posted a break in each set in advancing to the quarterfinals.

Denis Istomin beat fourth-seeded Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 6-3 without facing a break point and finishing off three of his five break opportunities.

The Sydney draw lost two other seeds as No. 2-seeded Gilles Simon withdrew with a neck injury and sixth-seeded Radek Stepanek allowed Julien Benneteau to advance he retired due to a sprained intercostal muscle four points into their Wednesday match.

Ivo Klec was inserted into the draw to replace Simon but Jarkko Nieminen made his stay a short one, rolling past Klec 6-3, 6-1 in 46 minutes.

Third-seeded Andreas Seppi needed three sets to get to the quarterfinals, beating John Millman 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 and No. 8-seeded Marcel Granollers stopped Fabio Fognini 6-2, 7-6 (7-4). Seppi and Granollers are the only seeded players left in the tournament and they face off in the next round.

Bernard Tomic eliminated fifth-seeded Florian Mayer 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 and Kevin Anderson got by Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-4 in the other second-round matches.