Roddick, Murray reach second round in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tennessee, Feb 22 (Reuters) Top seed Andy Roddick and number three Andy Murray reached the Memphis International second round in contrasting styles.

World number four Roddick eased past former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson 6-2 7-5 but Murray had to come from 4-2 down in the final set to beat Canadian world number 95 Frank Dancevic 6-3 4-6 6-4 yesteday.

Murray beat Roddick in the semi-finals on his way to the title in San Jose last weekend and the two could meet in the last four again this week.

Swede Johansson, out of action for two and a half months in 2006 after being hit in the eye by a ball, was well below par early on, making a series of mistakes to hand Roddick the advantage.

The second set was a much closer affair and Roddick had to save a break point before a backhand pass gave him the vital break in the 11th game and he served out for victory.

Roddick next plays German Benjamin Becker, a 2-6 6-3 6-4 winner over American Robert Kendrick.

''I started off really well in the first set but I think he started serving better in the second set,'' Roddick told reporters.

''That made it tough but I think I played pretty well overall.'' Murray dominated the first set against Dancevic but the Canadian lifted his game in the second, taking advantage of a break in concentration from the Scot.

Dancevic stormed ahead 3-0 in the third and, after trading breaks, looked set for victory at 4-2.

But Murray showed his customary fighting spirit to break back and he took his opponent's serve again in the ninth game before setting up a clash with Dane Kristian Pless.

Ivo Karlovic, runner-up in San Jose, slumped to a 6-3 6-2 first-round defeat by American wild card Sam Querrey.

The 6-foot-10 Croat dropped his serve on three occasions -- as many times as in the entire San Jose tournament -- and Querrey also outaced him 17 to five.

Karlovic said he had been bothered by the knee injury which kept him out for almost six months in 2006.

Querrey, the world number 92, will play Frenchman Julien Benneteau in the second round.

Russian qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili became the first man into the quarter-finals after he edged American Alex Kuznetsov 5-7 6-3 6-4, putting him into the last eight of an ATP Tour event for the first time.

Austrian Stefan Koubek joined him the last eight, coming from 5-2 down and saving a set point before beating Russian qualifier Evgeny Korolev 7-6 6-2.

REUTERS AY DS1150