WASHINGTON, Aug. 2 (UPI) -- Americans James Blake and Donald Young breezed to first-round victories Monday in the first round of the Legg Mason Classic in Washington.
Blake dispatched Japan's Tatsuma Ito 6-3, 6-3 in a match that lasted a bit less than an hour and Young sped past New Zealand qualifier Artem Sitak 6-0, 6-3.
Young advances to face fourth-seeded Jurgen Melzer in the second round while Blake will take on defending champion and eighth-seeded Argentine David Nalbandian.
Also Monday, Igor Kunitsyn of Russia gutted out a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Gilles Muller of Luxembourg and Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic rallied for a 6-7 (2-7), 6-4, 6-0 win over Philipp Petzschner of Germany.
Kunitsyn's win sets up a second-round meeting with No. 16 Jarkko Nieminen of Finland while Stepanek will next play Wayne Odesnik in the second round.
Odesnik made the cut after top American Mardy Fish pulled out of the tournament citing a right heel injury.
