Rafa Nadal at the Cincinnati Masters

The closer we get to the U.S. Open, the higher the level of tennis gets. On Wednesday, the top seven seeds all advanced to the round of sixteen on Thursday. Only 8 seed Fernando Verdasco stubbed his toe against America’s hottest player, Mardy Fish.

Thursday’s feature match will lit 5th seeded Andy Soderling against 9th seed and two-time champion at the $2 million Western and Southern Financial Group Championship, Andy Roddick. Roddick will have plenty of support as he mends from his two-month battle with mono. The American looked fit against Tomas de Bakker in a 7-6 (4), 6-4 triumph.

Another popular American John Isner rolled an ankle and was forced to retire against a very sharp David Nalbandian. The Argentine may have dodged Isner’s bullets but now he will have to face the Djokovic firing squad. The 2 seed knocked off his former doubles partner and good friend Victor Troicki, 6-3, 7-5.

The fourth member of the American team, Sam Querrey, went down at the hand of Spain’s David Ferrer who is having a great season. Ferrer will face 6 seed Nikolay Davydenko who has yet to regain the form that jump started his season.

Unseeded Taylor Dent gave top seed Rafa Nadal a push in the second set but could not hold his early break advantage, falling 6-2, 7-5. Roger Federer advanced by way of a retirement by Denis Istomin at 5-2 in the first. The three seed but second ranked Federer will face hard hitting Phillip Kohlschreiber who overcame Antonio The Great Falla 6-0, 1-6,6-3 in one of the day’s most unusual matches.

All sixteen survivors will be in action today in the year’s strongest third round draw.

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