Ginepri, Spadea, Haas Outed at ATP Memphis
Posted on February 18, 2004
Both seeds in action were upset on the opening day at the ATP Memphis stop Monday, with Frenchman Cyril Saulnier duplicating last week's feat by beating (4)Robby Ginepri 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-2, and former Top 10-ranked Thomas Enqvist ousting (5)Vince Spadea 6-4, 7-5.
"He stepped up his game, started hitting unbelievable shots and there wasn't much I could do," Ginepri said. "I got a little upset with myself and started making bad decisions." Bad decisions like what, 'OK, I've got a Babolat, hit the ball HARDER!'?
Unseeded players into the second round were German giant Alexander "My Serve Has" Popp (d. (WC)Haas), Belgian waffle Xavier Malisse (d. NCAA champ (Q)Delic), new Swede on the block Joachim Johansson (d. H.-T. Lee in three), and French qualifier Sebastien de Chaunac (d. Labadze, who retired in the third set breaker with an injured ankle). Haas is now 0-2 in his 2004 comeback. Tuesday's schedule at Memphis includes Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer vs. Vahaly, (7)Ferreira vs. (WC)B.Bryan, (3)Dent vs. Gambill (Dent leads series 2-0), Burgsmuller vs. (Q)Niemeyer in an all-ugly, Tursunov vs. C.Rochus, and (Q)Taino vs. (8)Kiefer.
Two seeds eased into the second round Monday at Rotterdam, one at the expense of Goran Ivanisevic's comeback. Advancing were (3)Rainer Schuettler (d. Koubek) and (7)Sjeng Schalken (d. (WC)Ivanisevic), while two un-seeds also moved on in Czech Radek Stepanek (d. O.Rochus in three) and, to the applause of frenzied Dutch fans, wildcard John van Lottum (d. Kucera). "It was obvious that I've played just five matches in the last two years," said Ivanisevic, who looked weak in the long rallies. "Sjeng is a tough opponent, who gives nothing for free. In the past I never worried about returns but now I have to be prepared, now my service has no longer that power." On court Tuesday are Costa vs. (Q)Heuberger, Davydenko vs. (4)Srichaphan, (WC)Corretja vs. Sluiter, (8)Verkerk vs. Nieminen (Nieminen leads 2-1), Robredo vs. (5)Henman, and Pavel vs. Youzhny (Russian leads 3-0).
Both seeds went through easily on Monday in Buenos Aires, with (1)Guillermo "The Wizard" Coria (d. Horna) and (3)Nicolas Massu (d. Montanes) dropping no more than four games each. "I am happy to have won this easy," The Wizard said. "It is good for the next rounds since I will safe energy that I am sure I will be needing. It wasn't easy to play to day, the weather conditions made the court very heavy, nothing to do with last week. I want to find the right coach and I am not going to make a quick decision. I have talked to Gil Reyes (Andre Agassi's strength coach) about having his work plan. We'll see after this event how things go and take some decisions."
Two unseeded players also moved into the second round in French comer Richard Gasquet (d. Verdasco in three) and Italian No. 1 Filippo Volandri (d. (WC)Canas in three). The last round of qualifying was also completed, with M.Lopez (ESP), Moyano (ARG), Patience (FRA), and G.Lapentti (ECU) on to the big dance. Participating in Tuesday's full schedule (after Monday's rain delays, with 12 matches featuring 10 Argentines) are (6)Zabaleta vs. Lisnard, "Julio &" Galo Blanco vs. (5)Calleri, (2)Moya vs. Levy, (4)Kuerten vs. Ferrer, (7)Gaudio vs. Acasuso in an all-Argentine, N.Lapentti vs. (WC)Monaco, (WC)Squillari vs. (Q)M.Lopez, (Q)G.Lapentti vs. Chela, (Q)Patience vs. Portas, (Q)Moyano vs. O.Hernandez, and Saretta vs. Behrend. Good day to have a Buenos Aires ticket.
WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW
Only three main draw matches in Antwerp Monday, with the winners including Dinara "Sister Of" Safina (d. Barna), Slovak Tina Pisnik (d. Mandula in three), and Belgian wildcard Els Callens (d. Loit). The final round of qualifying was also completed, with Zuzana Ondraskova (CZE), Alexandra Stevenson (USA), Iveta Benesova (CZE), and Klara "Kouky" Koukalova (CZE) earning main draw spots. On Tuesday's slate is Sprem vs. Smashnova-Pistolesi, Parra vs. E.Clijsters, Sanchez Lorenzo vs. Farina Elia, Chladkova vs. Gagliardi, Black vs. Ondraskova, and Serna vs. Koukalova.
The two American seeds in action Monday at Memphis advanced in (5)Ashley "Ann 2.0" Harkleroad (d. Talaja) and (6)Amy "Joltin' Joe" Frazier (d. countrywoman (Q)Haynes). Two unseeded players also moved into the second round in Slovak Martina Sucha (d. Jankovic) and qualifier Tatiana "The Pocket Baseliner" Panova (d. Grande 6-1 in the third). Tuesday's line-up is Brandi vs. Gullickson, Sharapova vs. Martinez Granados, Zvonareva vs. Garbin, Perry vs. Svensson, Arvidsson vs. Voskoboeva, Jidkova vs. Frazier, Gajdosova vs. Dulko, and Snyder vs. Salerni.
Top-seeded Saori Obata bombed out in the opening round at Hyperbad Monday, outfoxed by countrywoman and practice partner Yuka Yoshida. "We play together in Japan and I know her game pretty well," said the 27-year-old Yoshida. "I took the field with a positive frame of mind." Took the field? Are you playing second base? The three other seeds in action advanced in (5)Jelena Kostanic (d. (WC)Lakhani in three), (6)Jie Zheng (d. Beygelzimer), and (8)Lubomira Kurhajcova (d. Antonella Serra Zanetti). Un-seeds into the second round were the other Italian sister Adriana Serra Zanetti (d. Schruff), and Russian Galina Fokina (d. Vanc in three). The final round of qualifying was also completed with four into the main draw in Neha Uberoi (USA), Shahar Peer (ISR), Barbara Schwartz (AUT), and Ankita Bhambri (IND). On tap Tuesday is a full slate in Tanasugarn vs. Kulikovskaya, Mirza vs. Pratt, Kirilenko vs. N.Uberoi, Bhambri vs. Bartoli, Jugic-Salkic vs. Yan, Schwartz vs. Widjaja, Rodionova vs. Camerin, Poutchek vs. Dragomir Ilie, and Sun vs. Peer. Now that's Hyperbad.
ATP MEMPHIS MULTIPLE WINNERS
4--Todd Woodbridge/Mark Woodforde (1999-98,'93-92)
2--Mark Knowles/Daniel Nestor (2003,'96)
2--Todd Martin (1995-94)
2--Mark Philippoussis (2001,'98)
CORRECTION
Fernando Gonzalez beat Gustavo Kuerten in the Vina del Mar final on Sunday 7-5, 6-4.
NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Last week in San Jose, Andy Roddick had 79 aces to Mardy Fish's 72...Fernando Gonzalez is the only Chilean to win an ATP event in Chile, with Marcelo Rios going 0-4 in Chilean finals...As part of the new ATP Ambassadors Program, the ATP is teaming up with Cliff Drysdale and Tennis Magazine to promote a number of Demo Days at select cities across the United States in 2004. More than 40 kids and 30 adults took part in the Demo Day last Saturday at the Courtside Club in Las Gatos, California. The Demo Days, which will be held at 13 ATP tournaments, are aimed to promote ATP tournaments at local clubs through the offer of tennis clinics...Former ATP World Team Cup chief Horst Klosterkemper started his new job as chief of ATP Europe by floating the suggestion (much to the dismay of other ATP brass) of reducing sets to four won games to speed up the sport and make it more attractive for television viewers and broadcasters. "We should not stick to tradition so much," Klosterkemper said in an interview published Monday on www.sport.ard.de, a Web site run by one of Germany's public media networks. "We have to ask the fans and the media which rules have to be changed and how we can present ourselves better. My proposal: Why don't we play the sets only until four and then a tiebreaker?" Was that an official press release? Nice first day on the job...Lleyton Hewitt and his coach, 34-year-old Roger Rasheed, won their first round doubles match in Rotterdam, beating Dutchmen Sluiter/Verkerk. Rasheed replaced Mark Philippoussis as Hewitt's partner when Flipper pulled from the event citing "personal reasons."...SI's Jon Wertheim in his mailbag column: "One of you recently asked about the status of Fernando Vincente. According to the all-knowing (ATP's) Greg Sharko, the "Drop-Shot Dragon" (which has to rank among the sports world's worst nicknames) has been sidelined with a foot injury and is expected back at Indian Wells." We thought Albert Portas' nickname was the Dropshot Dragon? Check it....Sjeng Schalken: "For me the most touching moment in the complete history of tennis was the final of Wimbledon in 2001 when Goran (Ivanisevic) beat Patrick Rafter. I still watch that match from time to time and I always shed a tear."...Cyril Saulnier is 3-0 thus far this year against Robby Ginepri...Tommy Haas after losing to countryman Alexander Popp first round at Memphis: "It's frustrating. I've just got to take it slowly, probably more slowly than I would have hoped. It's going to take a while to get the fitness back, get the speed about the court, find my game again. It's different from practice. The positive thing is that I could play a whole match without pain, but there really weren't too many positives to take from the match tonight."...Meghann Shaughnessy pulled from Memphis this week for "rest and recovery."...Yo Cara Black, happy birthday, who says we always forget?