U.S. Open: Paes-Stepanek in third round

Indo-Czech pair of Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek moved into the U.S. Open third round here at the Flushing Meadows.

The fifth seeds defeated unseeded Brazilian duo of Thomaz Bellucci and Joao Souza in straight sets, 7-5, 7-6 (3), in one hour and 45 minutes Friday.

In the first set, Paes-Stepanek broke Bellucci-Souza on their second break point and sealed the set without losing a single game on their serve.

Both teams broke each other's serve once in the second set but the experienced fifth seeds were too good for their opponents in the tie-break which they clinched 7-3.
Bellucci-Souza served four double faults at crucial junctures which cost them the match.

Paes-Stepanek next face America-Australian pairing of Jesse Levine and Marinko Matosevic who overcame eleventh seeds Jonathan Marray and Frederik Nielsen 6-1, 7-6, 6-4.

India's Sumit Nagal entered the second round of qualifying of the junior men's event defeating local boy Austin Siegel 6-4, 6-2. The 15-year-old next faces Hugo Cesar Dojas of Brazil.

However, Lavanya Khanuja of India lost 0-6, 1-6 to Canadian Marika Akkerman in the first round of qualifying of the junior girl's event.