Key Biscayne: James Blake advanced to the second round of the Sony Open, beating fellow American Ryan Harrison 6-2, 6-2 on Wednesday night.
The 33-year-old Blake, a former top-10 player now ranked 95th, was far more active than the 20-year-old Harrison, ranked seven spots higher, in the 57-minute match.
Harrison won his first two service games at take a 2-1 lead, but Blake won the next five games to take the first set. In the second set, Blake raced to a 4-1 lead.
Two-time Grand Slam winner Lleyton Hewitt also won his opening match, topping Joao Sousa of Portugal 6-1, 7-6 (3). Hewitt, the 32-year-old Australian who once topped the world rankings, made his first start in the event since 2009. The wild-card entry is 91st in the world.
Agencies
First Published: Friday, March 22, 2013, 13:42