Guga On Track in Brazil, Bucharest Behind with Rain, Rubin Rolls in Bali

ATP REVIEW/PREVIEW
The top three seeds advanced into the Brazil semis Friday in (1)Schuettler (d. Delgado), (2)Schalken (d. (5)Spadea), and (3)Kuerten (d. Mello), joined by Argentinean qualifier Gaston Etlis (d. (8)Carlsen in three). "I am very happy since this is my first ever semifinal at an ATP event," said Etlis, better known for his doubles play. "I have been waiting for this a long time. It also comes at a very special moment since I think I could or should be on the Davis Cup team. It is going to be a very dificult match tomorrow since Sjeng is playing great tennis. Let's see what happens. It will be a dream come true to be in an ATP final." Talk yourself into your country's D-Cup line-up, that's good stuff.

Some second-round matches were completed in Bucharest between the rains Friday, with four advancing into the quarters in (2)Massu (d. (Q)Cermak), homeboy Hanescu (d. C.Rochus), van Lottum (d. Blanco), and Acasuso (d. (Q)Andreev). All the quarterfinal matches are yet to be played. "It was much easier to play before the rain came," said the hometown favorite Hanescu. "I played well after the rain delay but also Rochus started to play unbelievable. It was difficult for me to play. I tried to stay focused and play my best tennis. It's a good feeling to be in the quarterfinals. I hope there will be a big crowd tomorrow. It was a little bit strange to play just in front few spectators."

Scheduled for Saturday in Bucharest, attempting to catch up with the rain are (WC)Sabau vs. (3)Sargsian, Hanescu vs. (2)Massu, Acasuso vs. van Lottum, (WC)Sabau or (3)Sargsian vs. Hanescu or (2)Massu, Sanchez vs. Mathieu, and a legends exhibition in Guillermo Vilas vs. Ilie Nastase. The Brazil semis will be (Q)Etlis vs. (2)Schalken (Schalken leads head-to-head 1-0), and (1)Schuettler vs. defending champion (3)Kuerten (Guga leads 3-0), with the doubles final Perry/Shimada vs. Humphries/Oliver. Schuettler is looking for his first final since the Aussie Open in January. "At this point every player is playing great and will be difficult to beat," Guga said. "Schuettler has been playing great this year and it is going to be a very difficult match."

WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW
A classic choke at Bali on Friday, with Indonesian homegirl Angelique Widjaja serving for the match at 6-4, 5-4 against Japan's Saori Obata before crumpling to a 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 loss. Another unseed into the semifinals was the hot-handed Venezuelan Maria Vento-Kabchi (d. Gagliardi in three), joined by seeds (1)Rubin (d. Barna) and (2)Dementieva (d. Tanasugarn). "I was aggressive, which is what I wanted...it was important coming in here to get a run and some momentum going into the end of the year," said Rubin, who is in need of a confidence-boosting Tier XXII title in Asia. "It's still important for me to play well these last few tournaments." Today's semifinal match-ups are Vento-Kabchi vs. (2)Dementieva (first meeting), and (1)Rubin vs. Obata (first meeting). The doubles final will be (1)Vento-Kabchi/Widjaja vs. (2)Loit/Pratt.

TENNIS-X.COM MEN'S BOTTOM 10 RANKINGS
(week of Sept. 8, 2003)
Slovak Davis Cup player Karol Beck and former No. 2 Magnus Norman climb into the Top 5 this week after losses in Bucharest and Brazil, while former Top 10-ranked Thomas Enqvist hangs on at No. 1 on the Tennis-X Bottom 10 Rankings. The Bottom 8 players at the end of the year qualify for the Tennis-X Masters-of-Disaster Cup at a public park to be determined (minimum 25 matches):

1. Enqvist, Thomas (SWE) 8-22 .267
2. Voinea, Adrian (ROM) 8-20 .286
3. Beck, Karol (SVK) 8-19 .296
4. Norman, Magnus (SWE) 8-18 .308
5T. Acasuso, Jose (ARG) 8-17 .320
5T. Gimelstob, Justin (USA) 8-17 .320
7. Arthurs, Wayne (AUS) 11-22 .333
8T. Corretja, Alex (ESP) 10-19 .345
8T. Kratochvil, Michel (SUI) 10-19 .345
8T. Portas, Albert (ESP) 10-19 .345
10. Mathieu, Paul-Henri (FRA) 9-17 .346

NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES, AND BARBS
Sports writer Ray McNulty: "The game has been dumbed down by smart people who keep finding ways to make rackets lighter, stiffer and more powerful. Why should kids learn to serve and volley when they can take big swings and blast winners from 5 feet behind the baseline? Racket technology has reached the point where the pros can't serve and volley -- because the ball whizzes past them before they can get to the service line."