Fish Wins In Clash Of Former Champs; Del Potro Impresses

© CameraSportJuan Martin del Potro is through to the quarter-finals for a third straight week.

Second seed Mardy Fish advanced to the quarter-finals of the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships as he crushed Brazilian Ricardo Mello 6-2, 6-1 in a clash between former champions on Thursday at the ATP World Tour 250 hard-court tennis tournament.

The American dropped just eight points on serve and capitalised on five of his eight break point opportunities to race to victory in just 54 minutes. Victory for Fish avenged the defeat he suffered to the No. 78-ranked Mello in the Delray Beach second round in 2004, when the Brazilian went on to win his lone ATP World Tour title.

The 29-year-old Fish is through to the quarter-finals for the fifth time in eight event appearances; he went on to reach the final in 2003 (l. to Gambill) and won the title in 2009 (d. Korolev). He will next face Colombian qualifier Alejandro Falla, who defeated eighth-seeded Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 6-3, 6-2.

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Juan Martin del Potro posted his most lopsided victory since his comeback from wrist surgery, dismissing Russian Teymuraz Gabashvili 6-1, 6-1. The 22-year-old Argentine lost seven points on serve and broke Gabashvili five times during the 69-minute match.

Gabashvili had saved four match points to knock out fourth-seeded American John Isner in the first round.

Former World No. 4 del Potro has climbed more than 300 spots to No. 166 in the South African Airways 2011 ATP Rankings in just two weeks, and will look to reach his third straight semi-final on the ATP World Tour when he next plays South African fifth seed Kevin Anderson.

Anderson cruised past Frenchman Florent Serra 6-1, 6-4 in 54 minutes, capitalising on three of his four break points and dropping eight service points. The 24 year old, currently ranked a career-high No. 40, won his hometown title in Johannesburg earlier this month.