<div><p>Australian veteran Lleyton Hewitt sent third-seeded American James Blake tumbling out of the first-round of the 1.22 million-dollar ATP and WTA hardcourt tennis tournament in Memphis.</p><p>Hewitt notched the upset of the day with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Blake.</p><p>Hewitt, a former world number one, bounced back from a sloppy first set to improve to 8-1 lifetime in head-to-head matchups with Blake.</p><p>Despite the weary history, Blake entered as a heavy favorite to pull off his second victory over Hewitt, who had battled a myriad of injuries throughout 2008 and has dropped to 103rd in the world rankings.</p><p>Instead Hewitt booked a second-round clash with compatriot Chris Guccione, who was called up along with Hewitt Wednesday for Australia's Davis Cup tie against Thailand in March.</p><p>Top-seeded American Roddick launched his quest for a first title of 2009 by dispatching defending champion Steve Darcis of Belgium 7-6, (7/1), 6-2.</p><p>Roddick has reached three finals over his previous eight appearances at this hardcourt event, but has only the 2002 crown to show for it.</p><p>Although Roddick has yet to lift a trophy this year, he boasts a runner-up finish in Doha and semi-final showings at the Australian Open and San Jose.</p><p>Darcis, the shock winner here last year, remains in search of his first match win of the year after first-round departures at at Brisbane, Auckland, the Australian Open and San Jose.</p><p>Roddick, ranked sixth in the world, was one of six American men in action on Wednesday.</p><p>He advanced to a meeting with compatriot Robby Ginepri, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over German qualifier Simon Greul.</p><p>Fifth-seeded Czech Radek Stepanek, who won the title in San Jose on Sunday, also reached the second round, beating American qualifier Kevin Kim 6-4, 6-2.</p><p>Seventh seed Mardy Fish also benefited from the partisan crowd as he topped Taipei's Lu Yun-Hsun Lu 6-1, 7-5.</p><p>Eighth-seeded Sam Querrey - in the same half of the draw as compatriots Roddick, Blake and Fish - downed German veteran Tommy Haas 7-6, (7/4), 6-4.</p><p>On the women's side, Danish top seed Caroline Wozniacki advanced to the quarter-finals by defeating France's Severine Bremond 6-1, 7-6 (7/1).</p><p>Wozniacki will next face Dutch qualifier Michaella Krajicek, the only unseeded player in the women's final eight.</p><p>Also claiming quarter-final spots were Czech third seed Lucie Safarova, British fourth seed Anne Keothavong, German sixth seed Sabine Lisicki and eighth seed Pauline Parmentier of France.</p><p>Britain's Keothavong defeated Portugal's Michelle Larcherde Brito 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 to book a date against New Zealand's fifth-seeded Marina Erakovic.</p><p>Parmentier eliminated South African qualifier Chanelle Scheepers 6-4, 6-1 and will next meet second seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.</p><p>Safarova ousted American Vania King 7-6 (7/1), 6-3, to book a final-eight date with Lisicki, who defeated France's Stephanie Foretz 6-2, 6-4.</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=43149809&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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