Johns Creek, Georgia (SportsNetwork.com) - Fourth-seeded Canadian Vasek Pospisil won his match at the Atlanta Open tennis event, but seeded players Denis Istomin and Sam Querrey were ousted from the tournament.
Pospisil eased past Ukrainian qualifier Illya Marchenko 7-5, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals.
It's been a big turnaround for Pospisil of late. He sustained a back injury at the Australian Open in the early part of the season, and then from February through May failed to win a match in eight tries. He has now reached the quarterfinals in three of his last four events and has a doubles crown at a Grand Slam to boot, teaming with American Jack Sock to capture Wimbledon.
Slovakia's Lukas Lacko dismissed Istomin, the sixth seed from Uzbekistan, 5-7, 6-1, 6-4; while Israeli Dudi Sela took out the ninth seeded American Querrey, 6-2, 6-4.
Sock secured a berth in the quarterfinals by dismissing qualifier Michael Venus of New Zealand 6-4, 6-2 in 67 minutes in second-round action. Sock's next opponent is Lacko, while Sela plays Pospisil.
The first round concluded when seventh-seeded Taiwanese Yen-Hsun Lu tackled American lucky loser Alex Kuznetsov 6-4, 6-4 at this hardcourt tournament.
The top seed this week is 6-foot-10 American, reigning champion and two- time runner-up John Isner, who beat 6-foot-8 South African Kevin Anderson in last year's all-tall Atlanta finale. Isner will open up against wild card compatriot and Georgia resident Robby Ginepri, while Anderson will take on Dutch lucky loser Thiemo de Bakker on Thursday.
The 2014 Atlanta champ will claim $103,000.
