Andy Murray's first tournament since reaching the Australian Open final was ended in the second round of the Dubai Championships by Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-4 Wednesday. Novak Djokovic admitted to feeling fortunate to get past Serbian countryman Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals. Fourth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko retired after losing the first set 6-3 to Michael Berrer of Germany because of the left wrist he injured at Rotterdam two weekends ago. Marin Cilic came back from 6-3 down in the tiebreaker to beat Austrian qualifier Stefan Koubek 6-2, 7-6 (6) and improve his ATP Tour-best record to 17-1 this season. Cilic will meet another Austrian in the quarterfinals after Jurgen Melzer beat Tommy Robredo of Spain 6-3, 7-5. Seventh-seeded Michael Youzhny won 7-6 (2), 6-4 against Bjorn Phau of Germany, and Marcos Baghdatis defeated Indian qualifier Somndev Devvarman 6-3, 3-6 6-1. Dementieva in quarters Top-seeded Elena Dementieva cruised into the quarterfinals of the Malaysian Open with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Serbia's Bojana Jovanovski Wednesday. In another Wednesday match, fourth-seeded Alisa Kleybanova of Russia was a 6-7 (4), 6-3, 6-4 winner over compatriot Alla Kudryavtseva in a marathon encounter. Also booking their places in the quarterfinals were Australia's Anastasia Rodionova, who beat Russia's Ekaterina Ivanova 6-2, 6-2, and Japan's Ayumi Morita, who thrashed China's Yan Zi 6-2, 6-1. Verdasco in 2nd round Top-seeded Fernando Verdasco of Spain rallied from a set down to defeat Italy's Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 and reach the second round of the Mexican Open in Acapulco Tuesday. Sixth-seeded Nicolas Almagro and eight-seeded Albert Montanes – both from Spain – came through their first-round matches. Almagro beat Dudi Sela of Israel 6-1, 7-6 (0) and Montanes advanced with a win over countryman Daniel Gimeno-Traver 7-5, 4-6, 6-2. Top-seeded Venus Williams won her first clay-court match of the season, defeating Mathilde Johansson of France 6-2, 6-3. In other women's first round matches, third-seeded Gisela Dulko of Argentina defeated Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-1, 2-6, 6-1 and No. 5 Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain beat Hungary's Greta Arn of Hungary 6-0, 6-0. No. 3 David Ferrer also advanced with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Italy's Potito Starace, and No. 4 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain defeated Diego Junqueira of Argentina, 6-2, 6-3. Karlovic, Becker advance Second-seeded Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and third-seeded Benjamin Becker of Germany won first-round matches at the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships Tuesday. Seventh-seeded James Blake, a 2008 Delray Beach finalist, fought until after midnight to take a 6-1, 3-6, 5-3 lead over fellow American Taylor Dent. Play is scheduled to resume Wednesday with Dent poised to eliminate the seventh-seeded Blake. The 2.05-meter (6-foot-10) Karlovic is known for his big serving, so he was not impressed with only posting 19 aces in his 6-3, 7-6 (3) win over Philipp Petzschner of Germany. Becker ousted 2008 Delray Beach champion Kei Nishikori of Japan 6-3, 1-6, 6
