All seeds but two for qualification round have stepped closer to challenge the world-class players in the main draw of the China Open ATP tournament after the second round qualifying in Beijing on Sunday.

Yaoki Ishii, the eighth-seeded Japanese, was eliminated by Ashley Fisher after losing 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 to the Australian, and joined China's Lu Hao to be the only two seeds for qualification round who are ousted before taking Monday's last step for the main draw.

Overcoming a sluggish second set, Fisher played more patient and outlasted the Japanese 7-6 after winning the tiebreaker 10-8.

Lu Hao, the sixth seed who entered the men's singles qualification round with a wildcard, retired due to injury in his match against compatriot Zeng Shaoxuan, also a wildcard, as he was trailing 3-6, 7-5, 2-0.

The seventh seed Huntley Montgomery ruled out a strong comeback of injured Swede Robert Lindstedt to win the second round qualifying match 6-3, 6-4 at the Court 2 of the Beijing Tennis Center.

Trailing 2-1 in the second set, the cranky Lindstedt called for timeout to treat on his sprained groin before getting back to the court with accurate strikes to force four dueces for a fourth game win.

The Swede then broke Montgomery to take over the lead 3-2, but failed to hold his nerve as the American played a wonderful server and held on to win the match in straight sets.

Montgomery next takes Israel's Amir Hadad on Monday for one spots out of four in the main draw, after the second-seeded Hadad powered past China's Li Guang Yu 6-2, 6-0 in front of no more than a hundred home fans.

Top-seeded Nathan Healey overcame Sanchai Ratiwatana from Thailand 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 to set up a third round qualifying matchup against Fisher, while China's Zeng will meet third seed Toshihide Matsui, who raced past Chinese Li Jingyi 6-2, 6-2.

Fourth seed Yu Xinyuan, the only other Chinese survival from Sunday's matches, pits fifth-seeded Luka Gregorc from Slovenia in Monday's qualification as Yu took easy win over Robbie Koenig from

South Afica 6-1, 6-1 and Gregorc beat Tripp Phillips from United States 6-4, 6-1 to make it through to the next round.

The China Open ATP tournament, which is slated from September 10 to 18 with a total prize money of 500,000 US dollars, will kicks off its main draw play on Monday as all seeded players, including world number two Rafael Nadal and uprising Argentine David Nalbandian, have arrived Sunday in Beijing before 1800 local time. 

(Xinhua News Agency September 12, 2005)