Franklin Templeton Classic, Scottsdale

Hewitt is looking to consolidate his position as world number one

Lleyton Hewitt continued his trouble-free progress with a straight sets win over Australian Open semi-finalist Wayne Ferreira.

Hewitt, playing his first tournament since helping Australia to a Davis Cup win over Great Britain four weeks ago, edged a closely-fought first set 7-5.

But the veteran South African veteran had no answer to the world number one in the second set and Hewitt won it easily 6-1.

The world number one will play sixth seed Alex Corretja in the quarter-finals after the Spaniard defeated Arnaud di Pasquale 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 6-1.

Hewitt and Corretja have played five times, with the Spaniard surprisingly leading the series 3-2.

But all three of those wins came on the former French Open finalist's favourite surface of clay.

Hewitt, whose last tournament was the Australian Open, said he was pleased with his win over Ferreira.

"We were both holding well early, but he didn't make as many returns as he would have liked," he said.

"But at four-all, my serve picked up. I was able to take my game to another level. I had a tight first set, but a good start in the second."

Corretja, a quarter-finalist in Scottsdale when Hewitt won in 2000, won back-to-back matches for the first time in nearly six months.

"I need long matches, and I knew this would be one," he said.

"It's not easy for me now to keep focus for two-and-a-half hours. Ups and downs are normal - I'm looking forward to testing my game against Lleyton."

In later matches, David Nalbandian was taking on compatriot Franco Squillari, while Aussies Mark Philippoussis and Scott Draper were squaring off in the evening.

Delray Beach International, Florida

Qualifier Robert Kendrick beat Jean-Rene Lisnard 7-5 7-5 to advance to the quarter-finals of the International Tennis Championships.

Kendrick, playing his fifth match in six days, rallied from a 5-2 deficit in the first set and 5-3 in the second.

Kendrick will play Vladimir Voltchkov of Belarus in the last eight.

Voltchkov advanced when Sargis Sargsian retired in the third set because of cramps. Voltchkov was leading 5-7 6-4 1-0 when Sargsian decided he could not continue.

In other second-round action, fourth seed Jan-Michael Gambill battled past fellow American Justin Gimelstob 7-5 7-5.

He will now take on Brazil's Flavio Saretta, who upset eighth-seeded American Vincent Spadea 6-4 3-6 6-4.