Wrist injury hands Gonzalez victory

Published on Monday 12 October 2009 22:56

TENTH seed Fernando Gonzalez has reached the second round of the inaugural Shanghai Masters after German Mischa Zverev retired injured in the third set of a tight match.

The match was all square at 7-5, 6-7, 2-2 when the world No67 called an end to the contest because of a wrist injury.

Chilean Gonzalez will next play Brazilian qualifier Thomaz Bellucci.

American James Blake set up a second meeting in a week with Rafael Nadal despite facing an onslaught of 27 aces from Croatian Ivo Karlovic to win their first-round match 3-6, 7-6, 6-3.

Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka came from behind to beat Lukasz Kubot 2-6, 7-6, 7-6 in a three-hour match and will play Andy Roddick in the second round.

Former world No1 Marat Safin, who beat Gonzalez last week in Beijing, continued his march towards retirement with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Chinese wildcard Gong Maoxin.