Brit Hope Rusedski Into Quarters at ATP Nottingham

Posted on June 17, 2004

Unseeded Brit wildcard Greg Rusedski gave the home fans something to shout about at the ATP stop in Nottingham Wednesday, moving into the quarterfinals in his preparation for the start of Wimbledon on Monday.

Rusedski split sets with No. 5 seed Vince Spadea before rolling the American 6-1 in the third.

"I was really pleased," Rusedski said after winning his second consecutive three-setter. "When I'm struggling with my game, I always seem to come here and things start to turn around for me. It's great preparation for Wimbledon to win two three-set matches."

One other seed was tripped up in (3)Jonas Bjorkman (l. to Swedish countryman Soderling).

Others into the quarters were (1)Paradorn Srichaphan (d. W.Ferreira in three), (6)Taylor Dent (d. (Q)Bogdanovic), (7)Hicham Arazi (d. Gambill), Romania's Victor Hanescu (d. Brit (WC)Parmar), Flavio Saretta (d. (WC)Marray in three), and Swedish grasscourt veteran (Q)Thomas Johansson (d. O.Rochus).

The quarterfinals Thursday at The Knot feature (WC)Rusedski vs. (Q)T.Johansson (Swede leads encounters 5-3), (1)Srichaphan vs. (7)Arazi, (6)Dent vs. Hanescu, and Soderling vs. Saretta.

Four players advanced into the quarters at 's-Hertogenbosch Wednesday in Spaniards (4)Tommy Robredo (d. Canas in three) and (8)Fernando Verdasco (d. van Lottum who retired in the second set with injury), Frenchman (LL)Michael Llodra (d. Vacek), and Dutch homeboy "Everybody Loves" Raemon Sluiter (d. (Q)Petzschner).

On stage today are Verkerk vs. (6)Youzhny, (1)Coria vs. (Q)Kohlmann, van Scheppingen vs. (7)Clement, and Ancic vs. Andreev.

WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW
Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo (d. (WC)Janes) led the top four seeds into the quarterfinals at Eastbourne Wednesday, joined by (2)Svetlana Kuznetsova (d. Vento-Kabchi), (3)Ai Sugiyama (d. Likhovtseva in three), and (4)Vera Zvonareva (d. Dechy in three).

"Her serve is hard to read, but the rest of her game is up and down," said Mauresmo after pummeling the Brit. "I had a good time on court. I stayed focused and tried to being my game forward (to the net). I want to get my game together on this surface."

No. 8 seed Maggie Maleeva also advanced into the quarters (d. former Wimbledon champ Martinez in three), while No. 7 Francesca Schiavone was the only seed on the losing end (l. to Pisnik).

Un-seeds into the quarters were the resurgent Daniela Hantuchova (d. Karolina "The Spreminator" Sprem in three), and Maria Sanchez Lorenzo (d. Bovina in three).

Today's line-up reads as Mauresmo vs. Maleeva, Sugiyama vs. Hantuchova, Pisnik vs. Kuznetsova, and Sanchez Lorenzo vs. Zvonareva.

The WTA stop at 's-Hertogenbosch lost its top two seeds Wednesday when No. 1 Nadia Petrova was shocked by Jelena Jankovic, and No. 2 Swiss Miss Patty Schnyder was easily dismissed by Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues.

Others into the quarters were (3)Mary Pierce (d. Kirilenko, coming back from a set down), (8)Lina Krasnoroutskaya (d. Denisa "Hanging" Chladkova), Klara "Kouky" Koukalova (d. Sequera, coming back from a set down), and Barbara "Give a" Schett (d. Pennetta).

On court Thursday are Pierce vs. Kremer, Schaul vs. Medina Garrigues, Jankovic vs. Krasnoroutskaya, and Schett vs. Koukalova.

NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
The All-England Club again demonstrated, as one of the slams "allowed" to diverge in its seedings from the ATP or WTA Rankings, why no tournament should be able to stray from the rankings. Wimbledon's top seed will be No. 10-ranked Serena Williams, followed by No. 3-ranked Anastasia Myskina, then No. 8-ranked Venus Williams. On the men's side the Wimbledon committee totally put on a skirt, not straying from the top four ranked in Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Guillermo Coria who only this week won his career-first grasscourt match, and behind him former Wimbledon finalist David Nalbandian. You can move Serena from 10 to No. 1, but Coria stays at No. 3, ahead of Nalbandian who would beat him 1, 1, and 1 on grass? Careful, better leave Coria at No. 3, don't want an Argentine boycott like the fiasco with the Spaniards -- wimps. SI.com's Jon Wertheim says Serena deserves the top seeding? Hell, let's just let every tournament determine their own seedings, do away with the rankings and just make it -- Wimbledon can seed Timbledon wherever they want, the French can make Arnaud Clement the top seed, the Canadian Open can make Frank Dancevic the top seed,anything goes!...Martina Navratilova confirmed Wednesday she will take the Wimbledon wildcard: "I don't have to prove anything to anybody. I'm trying to make myself a better player. My goal is to do well at Grand Slams in doubles and mixed. If playing singles will help that, I'll do it. This is not about being in the limelight. If I didn't have the game, I wouldn't be here. I have too much to look forward to in life -- I'm not bored."...Andy Roddick on coach Brad Gilbert: "Brad says he's almost babysitting sometimes because he has to remind me when I have stuff. I just forget everything."