Dokic Rolled in Opener at WTA Dubai

Posted on February 26, 2004

Jelena Dokic's uneven season continued Tuesday at Dubai where the No. 6 seed put in a lackluster performance, dismissed 6-1, 6-2 by Hungary's Petra Mandula.

"I think people would expect much more from me," Dokic said. "She played really well and I played really bad, and that's what happens. It is disappointing because I started the year so well (semifinals in Tokyo)." Dokic skipped the January Australian swing on the advice of her wacky dad.

Other winners on the day were (5)Ai Sugiyama (d. Krasnoroutskaya), (8)Conchita Martinez (d. (Q)Jugic-Salkic), and un-seeds Magui "Don't Call Me Maggie" Serna (d. (Q)Douchevina), American Meghann Shaughnessy (d. Kapros), (Q)Maria Elena Camerin of Italy (d. Likhovtseva), (WC)Selima Sfar (d. Tanasugarn who retired with right knee tendonitis), (WC)Eleni Daniilidou (d. Pisnik in three), and (WC)Nicole Pratt (d. (Q)Zheng).

On Wednesday in Dubai the stars come out to play in Molik vs. Venus, Daniilidou vs. Capriati, Henin-Hardenne vs. Sfar, Kuznetsova vs. Barna, Myskina vs. Serna, Sugiyama vs. Pratt, Camerin vs. Martinez, and Shaughnessy vs. Mandula.

A slew of results from the dirt at Bogota on Tuesday, with one seeded upset, and two qualifiers and a wildcard moving into the second round. No. 7 Arantxa "Not That Arantxa" Parra was the victim of the unfortunately-named Croatian qualifier Lana Popadic, while moving into the second round were (5)Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues (d. Reeves), (Q)Alyona Bondarenko (d. Llagostera in three), (WC)Lourdes Dominguez Lino (d. (Q)Alves), Italy's Antonella Serra Zanetti (d. Seguera), Slovak Lubomira Kuhajcova (d. other sis Adriana Serra Zanetti), Austria's Barabara "Use the" Schwartz (d. Schruff), and Colombia's Catalina Castano (d. Pennetta in three). Less like a WTA event, more like a pronunciation quiz. One match was postponed due to rain with (8)Melina "Periodic Table" Czink tied with Canadian qualifier Maria-Eve Pelletier 6-3, 2-6, 5-5.

On court Wednesday on the dirt are Schwartz vs. Sanchez Lorenzo, Falcon vs. Cervanova, Gallovits vs. Loit, Czink vs. Pelletier (to finish), Harkleroad vs. Marrero, and Popadic vs. An.Serra Zanetti.

ATP REVIEW/PREVIEW
Costa do Sauipe lost its top two seeds Tuesday when No. 1 Carlos Moya fell to 0-2 career against unheralded German Tomas Behrend with a 6-3, 6-3 loss, and No. 2 Nicolas Massu was ousted by Argentine wildcard Juan Monaco 6-4, 6-2.

"My ankle still hurts a bit and it is now three days that I have a bleeding blister on my left foot," Moya said. "I have had them before so I should not be concerned about it, but still I have to take care of it. He played solid with not many mistakes and there is not much I could do today, knowing I played way below my normal level."

Other winners on the day were (3)Gustavo Kuerten (d. O.Hernandez, coming back from a set down), (4)Agustin Calleri (d. Portas), (8)Juan Ignacio Chela (d. Flavio "Of Yesterday" Saretta), "Julio &" Galo Blanco (d. D.Sanchez), French teen Richard Gasquet (d. (WC)F.Ferreiro), Spain's David Ferrer (d. N.Lapentti), Peru's Luis "Me So" Horna (d. (WC)Braga), (Q)Fernando Verdasco (d. Canas who retired in the second set with injury), Jose Acasuso (d. C.Rochus), and Argentina's Franco "The Squirrel" Squillari (d. Lisnard).

Today in Brazil features (Q)Verdasco vs. (4)Calleri, Acasuso vs. Volandri, Behrend vs. Ramirez-Hidalgo, the match of the day in (3)Kuerten vs. Gasquet, Montanes vs. Blanco in an all-"B" Spanish match-up, (Q)Squillari vs. (7)Gaudio in an all-ARG (Squirrel leads meetings 3-2), (8)Chela vs. Ferrer, and Horna vs. (Q)Monaco.

No. 3 seed Paradorn Srichaphan's troubled season continued Tuesday at Marseille when the Thai was ousted in his opening match by Spain's Al Martin after winning the first set 6-1.

"I won the first set very easily and everything seemed to be going my way," said Srichaphan, who lost by a final tally of 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, still suffering from a sprained ankle from the Aussie Open. "But it suddenly turned around and he started to play better and move better. I am disappointed because I like it here and it seemed like the crowd wanted to see more of me."

Other winners on the day were (7)Arnaud Clement (d. Ivanisevic in three), (8)Marat Safin (d. (Q)Mayer), Armenia's Sargis Sargsian (d. former champ Santoro), Fin Jarkko Nieminen (d. Escude, who at one point served for the match, 7-6 in the third), and Chilean Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez (d. Kucera, who retired in the third set with the flu). On today's slate in Marseille are Sanguinetti vs. (Q)Rosset in a veteran battle, (WC)Saulnier vs. (Q)Knowle, (1)Ferrero vs. Carraz, Pavel vs. (4)Max "The Beast" Mirnyi, (6)Costa vs. Arazi, Davydenko vs. (2)Coria (first meeting), Enqvist vs. Soderling in an all-Swedish match-up, and two-time 2004 winner Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty vs. (Q)Mahut.

ATP MARSEILLE MULTIPLE WINNERS
3-- Thomas Enqvist, SWE (2002, 1998-97)
3-- Marc Rosset, SUI (2000, 1994-93)

ATP COSTA DO SAUIPE (BRAZIL OPEN) WINNERS
2003 Sjeng Schalken (NED)
2002 Gustavo Kuerten (BRA)
2001 Jan Vacek (CZE)
 
NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
The ATP has announced a marketing partnership, licensing agreement and product allocation program with Luxilon Industries for 2005 and 2006. During the past two years Luxilon has become the most popular racquet string on tour with 34 of the Top 100 players choosing to play with Luxilon?s ?Big Banger? string. Last year, players using ?Big Banger? won nearly two-thirds of all ATP events. Players ranked in the Top 250 in singles and Top 50 in doubles at the end of the season will be eligible for free string and grips from Luxilon...No men's singles player or doubles team has won the Dubai title twice in the tournament's 11-year history...Nicolas Escude is being coached by former French player Thierry Champion...Juan Carlos Ferrero moved up to No. 2 in the ATP Entry Rankings after reaching the final in Rotterdam on Sunday...Gustavo Kuerten has not won a claycourt title since 2001 when he won five, including Roland Garros...Former No. 1 Monica Seles is still hoping to eventually make a return to the tour from her foot injury: "It's amazing how many players have been hurt this season," Seles told the AP. "If you look at Serena (Williams), she's been out as much as I have. Maybe the off-season needs to be longer -- I know the tour is looking at it."...Spain's Davis Cup World Group quarterfinal in April against the Netherlands will take place at the Coliseo Balear, a converted bullring in Palma de Mallorca...Sign up for the free daily e-newsletter at www.tennis-x.com, top right page. Do it.