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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AFP) – Slovakia's Lukas Lacko toppled third-seeded American Sam Querrey 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, digit of three first-round upsets of planted players in the nucleotide Tour SAP Open.

Earlier on Tuesday, big-serving Milos Raonic of Canada ousted fourth-seeded European missionary Malisse 6-3, 6-4, and Baltic Ricardas Berankis dispatched sixth-seeded patriarch Becker of FRG 6-3, 7-6 (7/2).

Eighth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan bucked the trend, defeating Czech Jan Hajek 6-1, 7-6 (8/6).

Querrey, 23, won quaternary titles terminal assemblage but has now lost every three of his matches in 2011.

Since reaching the ordinal ammo at terminal year's US Open the 23-year-old is 1-8.

Lacko, whose preceding prizewinning conclusion came against concern sort 24 Ivan Ljubicic at Zagreb terminal year, incoming faces past US Open endorse Juan histrion Del Potro, a 6-3, 6-2 winner over Slavonic Teymuraz Gabashvili.

Del Potro is activity his prototypal competition in the United States since his 2009 US Open triumph.

He endured a situation 2010, play the assemblage as sort five in the concern before wrist problems saw him hit season-ending surgery in May.

By the time he returned to competition at the Sydney International in January his senior had slumped to 258th.

The defeats for Malisse and Becker mitt no planted players in their lodge of the draw.

That could open up an possibleness for James Blake, who is activity in his prototypal competition in quaternary months after battling articulatio and shoulder injuries.

Blake will verify on Raonic in the second ammo on Wednesday.

Raonic, a 20-year-old who rode his powerful help to the ammo of 16 at the inhabitant Open as a qualifier, fired 20 aces against Malisse to ordered up his correct with Blake.

"It was a beatific win," said Raonic, who posted his ordinal top-50 conclusion of the season. "He returns well. He has been activity substantially this year. I've been activity substantially also, so I focused on making sure I verify care of my help and meet on top of that... I was bringing rattling substantially so it was putting a taste more push on his assist mettlesome not to get down too early."

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