Zeballos ousts Gonzalez

HOUSTON: Top-seeded Fernando Gonzalez was bundled out of the U.S. Men's clay court championship on Friday, beaten 6-4, 6-4 by Argentina's Horacio Zeballos.

The sixth-seeded Zeballos, the 2009 ATP newcomer of the year, broke Gonzalez in the first game of the second set, but had to struggle to hold his serve later in the final set to beat Gonzalez, ranked 11th in the world. Zeballos is ranked 54th.

Hewitt dethroned

Zeballos will face fellow Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela in the semifinals. Chela beat injury-slowed defending champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia 6-4, 6-3.

Hewitt, fourth seeded, played in his first tournament since undergoing surgery on his right hip Jan. 29.

He made one charge after falling behind 5-0 in the second set, breaking the Argentine in the sixth and eighth games.

Chela, ranked 84th in the world, ended the brief rally by breaking back in the ninth game.

Third-seeded Sam Querrey of the United States also advanced, overcoming a misfiring serve to beat Chile's Nicolas Massu 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.

Wawrinka has it easy

Meanwhile at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca, Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland and Potito Starace of Italy won in straight sets on Friday to reach the semifinals.

The top-seeded Wawrinka beat Moroccan wild card Reda El Amrani 6-3, 6-1.

The results:

At Houston (U.S. clay court championships): Quarterfinals: Juan Ignacio Chela bt Lleyton Hewitt 6-4, 6-3; Sam Querrey bt Nicolas Massu 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Wayne Odesnik bt Xavier Malisse 6-4, 6-1; Horacio Zeballos bt Fernando Gonzalez 6-4, 6-4.

At Casablanca (Prince Hassan II GP): Quarterfinals: Florent Serra bt Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-2; Victor Hanescu bt Richard Gasquet 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-3 . — AP