Dominator Out, Verkerk In at ATP Ordina Open

Posted on June 15, 2004

The week before Wimbledon is usually a starless sky, never more evident than at the ATP stop in 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands, at the Ordina Open where Monday highlights included (5)Dominik "Not Dominating" Hrbaty getting dumped by blank Czech Jan Vacek, and former French finalist Martin "Berzerk" Verkerk celebrating his career-first match win on grass.

"I tried to concentrate and to win my first grasscourt match and it worked," said Verkerk, walking the media through the process at his post-match conference. "I think it makes me a 50 percent better grasscourt player because I'm mentally good on it."

Hoo-kay.

Other winners Monday were (6)Mikhail Youzhny (d. Dupuis), (8)Fernando Verdasco (d. (Q)Scherrer, saving three match points), two Dutch homeboys in John van Lottum (d. Ascione) and Denis van Scheppingen (d. Acasuso), Russian Igor Andreev (d. (WC)Wessels), and German qualifier Michael Kohlmann (d. (Q)George "Remember When I Beat Pete?" Bastl).

On court Tuesday are Schuettler vs. "Everybody Loves" Raemon Sluiter, Schalken vs. Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic, Coria vs. Beck (but some bank on the Slovak here), Burgsmuller vs. Robredo, "Dr." Ivo Karlovic vs. Clement, Canas vs. Davydenko, (WC)Llodra vs. Lu, and Alexander "My Serve Has" Popp vs. (Q)Petzschner in an all-German encounter.

All three seeds in action pulled through at Nottingham Monday in (3)Jonas Bjorkman (d. (Q)Qureshi), (5)Vince Spadea (d. Carraz), and (7)Hicham Arazi (d. (Q)Childs).

Un-seeds into the second round were two grasscourt veterans in South African Wayne Ferreira (d. A.Martin 7-6 in the third) and American Jan-Mike Gambill (d. Moodie), and tour youngsters Robin Soderling of Sweden (d. Ferrer in three) and Brit qualifier Alex Bogdanovic (d. J.Johansson).

On tap today at the Knot are (1)Srichaphan vs. Elseneer, (WC)Rusedski vs. Kucera, (6)Dent vs. Irakli "Freak Show" Labadze, (WC)Marray vs. Arthurs, (Q)T.Johansson vs. (4)Max "The Beast" Mirnyi, (WC)Parmar vs. Xavier "X-Man" Malisse, O.Rochus vs. Sargsian, Saretta vs. (8)Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer, and Hanescu vs. (LL)Fitz.

WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW
The women kicked off play in s'Hertogenbosch Monday with little excitement save for wildcard Michaella "Little Sis" Krajicek fainting against No. 7 seed Claudine Schaul, then retiring in the second set with stomach cramps.

No. 6 Jelena Kostanic was the only seeded casualty (l. to Barna in three), while other winners were (8)Lina Krasnoroutskaya (d. Melinda "Our Favorite Element" Czink), Anne "Cosmo" Kremer (d. Srebotnik), Serb Jelena Jankovic (d. Gisela "Sgt." Dulko), Flavia "Of the Day" Pennetta (d. Parra Santonja), Japan's Akiko Morigami (d. (WC)Gullickson), and Czech Denisa "Hanging" Chladkova (d. Martina "Nurse, Hand Me a" Sucha in three).

On deck today are Pierce vs. Gagliardi, Loit vs. Schett, Marrero vs. Sequera, Kirilenko vs. Camerin, Kremer vs. Barna, Schaul vs. Morigami, and Cervanova vs. Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues.

Only three matches at Eastbourne Monday, with (6)Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi tripped up by Croatian Karolina "The Spreminator" Sprem, (8)Maggie Maleeva taming Brit wildcard Anne Keothavong 6-1 in the third, and French vet Nathalie Dechy spanking Fabiola "The Fabulous One" Zuluaga 6-2, 6-1.

The final round of qualifying was also completed, with Elena Likhovtseva (RUS), Cara Black (ZIM), Jie Zheng (CHN), and Alicia Molik (AUS) onto the big dance.

On court Tuesday are Daniela "The Walking Stick" Hantuchova vs. Amy "Joltin' Joe" Frazier, Raymond vs. Martinez, Farina Elia vs. Bovina, Grande/Reeves vs. Navratilova/Raymond in doubles, Pisnik vs. Dokic, Janes vs. Zheng, Schiavone vs. Molik, Safina vs. Likhovtseva in a Russian tussle, Sanchez Lorenzo vs. Serna, and Vento-Kabchi vs. Black.

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