Second-seeded German Nicolas Kiefer withdrew before his second-round match at the 380,000-dollar ATP tournament here on Thursday with a nagging sinus ailment.
Kiefer, a semi-finalist at the Australian Open, withdrew from the tournament in Memphis last week with the same problem.
After beating Armenian qualifier Sargis Sargsian 6-3, 6-2 in the first round on Tuesday, Kiefer said he felt just 50 percent and was unsure he would be able to continue.
Kiefer's scheduled second-round opponent, Kenneth Carlsen of Denmark, advanced to the quarter-finals on a walkover.
COLLATED RESULTS
MEN'S SINGLES SECOND ROUND: Kenneth Carlsen (DEN) bt Nicolas Kiefer (GER x2) w/o; Paul Goldstein (USA) bt Vince Spadea (USA) 6-2, 6-1; Xavier Malisse (BEL) bt Peter Luczak (AUS) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; James Blake (USA x5) bt Brian Vahaly (USA) 6-1, 6-1.