New York, U.S.A., by ATP Staff

Seventh seed Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga had too much firepower for Jarkko Nieminen of Finland at Flushing Meadows Friday, booking his place in the US Open third round for the third successive year with a comfortable 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 victory. In a clash of former junior champions, 2003 titlist Tsonga fired 45 winners, including 11 aces, past 1999 winner Nieminen for victory in one hour and 49 minutes.

The 24-year-old Tsonga, a winner of two ATP World Tour titles at the Open 13 in Marseille and SA Tennis Open in Johannesburg this season, won 45 of 49 first service points and 28 of 34 net approaches against 28-year-old Nieminen, who underwent surgery on his right wrist in May. “It was a quick match, I played great,” admitted Tsonga. “I am happy to go through this far.”

Tsonga will next challenge compatriot Julien Benneteau, who knocked out No. 30 seed Viktor Troicki 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-0. Kitzbuhel finalist Benneteau, who reached the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters quarter-finals (l. to Andy Murray) as a qualifier in Cincinnati two weeks ago, converted seven of 17 break point opportunities.

For the first time in Marin Cilic’s career, the Croatian successfully fought back from a two sets to love deficit to beat American wild card Jesse Levine 4-6, 2-6, 6-0, 6-3, 6-0 in two hours and 46 minutes. The 16th seed, who is coached by former pro Bob Brett, committed 46 unforced errors but 39 winners, including 14 aces. It was enough to get the second youngest player in the Top 20 of the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings out of trouble.

World No. 135 Levine, a recipient of three US Open wild cards (2007-2009), dropped to 0-7 against Top 20 opponents. The 20-year-old Cilic, who captured the Aircel Chennai Open and PBZ Zagreb Indoors title in the first two months of the season, goes on to face Uzbekistani Denis Istomin, who defeated Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador 2-6, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(4) in a marathon three hours and 48 minutes on Court 4. Istomin converted six of 18 break points, winning 78 of 198 points on return of serve.

Another player who earned a heroic comeback was Spanish No. 24 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 2003 runner-up (l. to Andy Roddick) and former World No. 1. Ferrero completed his third comeback from 0-2 sets down with a gutsy 1-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 victory over Philipp Petzschner of Germany, who hit 17 aces and 35 winners.

The 29-year-old Ferrero, who missed last year’s US Open due to a right shoulder injury, dropped to No. 115 in the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings on 6 April – his lowest ranking for 10 years – but began his resurgence with his first ATP World Tour title in six years at the Grand Prix Hassan II in Casablanca.

Ninth seed Gilles Simon, who goes on to meet Ferrero in the third round, required just under two hours to beat Thomaz Bellucci, a Brazil qualifier, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 to improve to a 34-24 match record on the season.

Simon, 24, committed just 19 unforced errors. He has produced his best Grand Slam performances this year – highlighted by his first major quarter-final at the Australian Open (l. to Rafael Nadal). Bellucci has lost all four meetings with Top 10 players, the highest-ranked player he has beaten is No. 24 Stanislas Wawrinka at the Allianz Suisse Open Gstaad in July.