TENNIS in DEPTH.

Serbian sixth seed Janko Tipsarevic also advanced, winning an epic marathon tie-breaker and a lopsided one to eliminate Ivo Karlovic 7-6 (16/14), 7-6 (7/1) despite 18 aces from the Croatian, who lost in last year’s final. Tipsarevic will next face Slovenian qualifier Blaz Kavcic, who eliminated Colombia’s Robert Farah 6-1, 6-4.

Mardy Fish needed only 20 minutes to reach the second round of the $442,500 ATP Delray Beach International Championships when German rival Bjorn Phau retired. Fish led 5-0 and had dropped only six points in Tuesday’s match, breaking Phau twice before the German halted the match, advancing the American into a second-round meeting with Brazil’s Ricardo Mello. South African fifth seed Kevin Anderson rallied to beat US lucky loser Donald Young 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 after two hours and 30 minutes, booking a second-round match against Frenchman Florent Serra.

In the night match, Juan Martin del Potro easily beat Richard Berankis 6-4, 6-1 to advance. Del Potro, of Argentina, won 79 percent of his first serves, converted 80 percent (four of five) of his break-point chances and kept his double faults to a minimum (two) in the 76-minute match. Japan’s Kei Nishikori also opened with a victory, downing Argentina’s Brian Dabul 6-2, 7-6 (7/5). He will next face US wild card James Blake, who ousted German seventh seed Benjamin Becker on Monday.

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