Novak Advances, Costa Rocked at ATP Gstaad

Both seeds won through in Bastad Wednesday in (6)Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez (d. Nieminen) and (8)Mariano Zabaleta (d. Irakli "Freak Show" Labadze), joined by two un-seeds in Argentine comer Juan Monaco (d. Vliegen 6-1 in the third) and Spain's Al Martin (d. Volandri in three).

"It is great to be back in Bastad," said the defending champ Zabaleta. "It was a strange match today since Labadze is a very good player but kind of crazy sometimes. I hope to do well here since I feel I am a better player than last year."

On tap today in Bastad is Verdasco vs. (4)Chela, (5)Robredo vs. Soderling, Olivier "All We Need is Just a Little" Patience vs. (2)Gaudio, and (Q)Ventura vs. Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal in an all-Spanish match-up.

In an all-unseeded, all-unwatchable Wednesday at Newport, five winners advanced on the grass in Italy's David Sanguinetti (d. (LL)Kendrick in three), Americans (Q)Glenn Weiner (d. Peya), (WC)Brian Vahaly (d. (Q)Mertinak) and (Q)Brian Baker (d. Moodie 7-6 in the third), and Belgian Gilles Elseneer (d. (Q)Ram). For Vahaly the win snapped a seven-match losing streak, and was his first victory on the year.

Scheduled for the lawns today are (1)Spadea vs. (WC)Vahaly in an all-American, Bogomolov Jr. vs. (2)Blake in an all-American, Carlsen vs. Rusedski in an all-over-the-hill, (3)Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer vs. Mahut, (Q)Weiner vs. (7)Popp in an all-Popp-goes-the-Weiner, Morrison vs. (Q)Baker in an all-American, Elseneer vs. (5)Saulnier, and (8)Dupuis vs. Sanguinetti.

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