Denis Istomin advances at SAP Open

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) -- Sixth-seeded Denis Istomin advanced to the second round of the SAP Open, beating qualifier Ryan Sweeting 6-3, 6-4 in just over an hour Tuesday night.

Istomin, from Uzbekistan, broke Sweeting's serve early in each set and won 86 percent of his first serves to maintain the advantage.

The 47th-ranked Istomin lost to Milos Raonic last year in the final of the event and is coming off consecutive quarterfinal finishes in Brisbane and Sydney. He's 10-3 lifetime in San Jose.

The 156th ranked Sweeting earned a spot in his first ATP tour main draw of the season.

Former World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, looking for his first singles title in nearly three years and his first title on hardcourt in seven years, advanced with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (4) victory over Blaz Kavcic, who had won the first two meetings between the players.

In other matches, seventh-seeded Marinko Matosevic, like Hewitt an Australian, beat American Jack Sock, 7-6 (5), 6-1; Canadian Vasek Pospisil knocked off Russian Evgeny Donskoy, 7-5, 6-1; and German Benjamin Becker downed American Ryan Harrison, 6-7 (3), 7-5, 6-3.

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