Serena Williams was knocked out of the third round of the $6.6 million China Open by Nadia Petrova Thursday, leaving the WTA's new “crown jewel” event without a top three seed in the quarterfinals. The American, who will retake the No. 1 spot next week, lost 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 in a hard fought contest against the Russian 13th seed to join her third seeded sister Venus and top seed Dinara Safina in exiting the tournament. Men's top seed Rafa Nadal was delighted with his form and fitness after earlier negotiating a tricky second round tie against American James Blake to reach the last eight. Nadal, playing his first tournament since picking up an abdominal injury at the US Open, was not at his rampaging best but certainly proved his fitness by outlasting Blake 7-5, 6-7, 6-3. Blake, ranked 24th after missing part of the season through injury, hit the ball low and hard throughout the match but errors on key points allowed the Spaniard to tie up their career head-to-head at 3-3. The New Yorker refused to back down throughout the contest and saved a match point before winning the second set in a tiebreak, only to hand the world number two a 5-3 lead with a double fault in the decider. “Winning in three sets always gives you confidence but today what really gives me confidence is how I played,” said Nadal, who will meet Russian Marat Safin for a place in the semifinals. Former world No. 1 Safin, who plans to retire at the end of the season, proved there was still life in his injury-wracked body with a 6-3, 6-4 win over seventh seed Fernando Gonzalez. In the women's draw, the third round proved a step too far for China's world No. 226 Zhang Shuai – the lowest ranked player to beat a world No. 1 when she upset Safina in the second round. The wildcard went down 6-1, 6-4 to France's Marion Bartoli, who will next play Vera Zvonareva after the Russian seventh seed outlasted 10th seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 5-7, 7-5. Tsonga beats Gasquet In Tokyo, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga overcame swirling on-court winds to beat compatriot Richard Gasquet for a place in the quarterfinals at the Japan Open tennis tournament Thursday. The 2008 Australian Open finalist and second seed displayed fine reflexes at the net to complete a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win played out as winds from Typhoon Melor lashed the country. Defending champion Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic outclassed Andreas Beck of Germany 6-4, 6-1, while Australian former world No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt eliminated France's Fabrice Santoro 3-6, 6-3, 6-1. In the quarterfinals Friday, he will take on Latvian qualifier Ernests Gulbis, who defeated Juan Monaco when the Argentine retired at 6-3, 4-1. Another qualifier, Edouard Roger-Vasselin of France, who shocked Juan Martin del Potro in the first round Tuesday, continued his run by beating Austria's Jurgen Melzer 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to set up a meeting with Hewitt. In the last match of the day, Russia's Mikhail Youzhny squeezed through to a 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 victory over Gilles Simon of France for a place against Berdych. Murray pulls out World No. 3 Andy Murray has withdrawn from next week's inaugural $5.25 million Shanghai Masters because of a wrist injury, organizers said Thursday. The Briton, who also missed this week's Japan Open for the same reason, joined world No. 1 Roger Federer in pulling out of the penultimate Masters series event of the season. Monfils, Ivanovic ready Gael Monfils, James Blake and Ana Ivanovic will compete in the Brisbane ATP/WTA International tournament in January ahead of the Australian Open, organizers said Thursday. They will join already confirmed players Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters for the second running of the Jan. 3-10 Brisbane International, a warm-up for the season's first Grand Slam event.
