Commack (New York), Aug 21: Second seed Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil reached the quarter-finals of the 355,000-dollar ATP hardcourt tournament here, but American James Blake stopped third-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo in the second round of this US Open tuneup.
Kuerten rolled past qualifier Karol Beck, 7-5 6-3, in a second-round match yesterday, one day after eliminating another Slovakian, lucky loser Dominik Hrbaty.
A three-time French Open champion, Kuerten accepted a wild card entry into the tournament. His next opponent will be seventh seed Younes el Aynaoui of Morocco, who had a 7-6 (7/3) 3-0 lead over Rik de Voest when the South African qualifier retired due to a groin injury.
El Aynaoui won three titles last year but is seeking his first this season. He was a finalist in April on his home turf in Casablanca.
Blake continued to play well on home soil, registering a 6-3 6-4 victory over third-seeded Robredo.



Blake's best efforts this season have come in the United States, where he reached the semi-finals in San Jose and the quarter-finals in Houston, Indian Wells, Scottsdale and Washington.


Bureau Report