Gaudio Spanked, Capriati Hangs On, Fed Says He Will Skip Davis Cup in 2005

Posted on November 4, 2004

Masters Cup Qualifier Gaudio Gagged at ATP Masters Series Paris

French Open champion Gaston Gaudio received a preview of his task ahead later this month at the Masters Cup, on Wednesday at the Masters Series-Paris losing in his opening-round match to Spaniard Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.

The No. 7-seeded Argentine is far and away the most comfortable on clay, but will be forced to fend for himself in Houston against the Top 7 players in the world, all who rate from strong to brilliant on the fast courts.

This year Gaudio put together a 5-7 win-loss record on hardcourt with a 1-2 record on indoor carpet, otherwise playing on the red dirt at every opportunity. The Argentine was handed the French Open title by his choking countryman Guillermo Coria, but lost in his other four claycourt final appearances at Barcelona, Bastad, Stuttgart and Kitzbuhel.

Taking a break after the French Open, Gaudio had only played two matches in three months, and this week visited the site of his greatest triumph.

"It felt great to be back in Paris," Gaudio said. "I even went back to Roland Garros again to practice this week."

Seeded winners on the day were (1) Andy Roddick (d. Sargis "Sarge" Sargsian), (6) Marat Safin (d. Ljubicic after dropping the first set in a tiebreak), (13) Guillermo Canas (d. (Q) Tsonga), (14) Nicolas "The Golden Child" Massu (d. (Q) C.Rochus), and (17) Vince Spadea (d. Davydenko).

Other seeded players coming up short Wednesday were (10) Tommy "The R." Robredo (l. to Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer 6-1 in the third), (12) Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty (l. to (WC) Saulnier), (15) Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez (l. to (Q) Max "The Beast" Mirnyi), and last week's Basel winner (16) Jiri Novak (l. to Youzhny).

The winner in the lone all-unseeded match in the second round was Czech Radek Stepanek (d. (LL) Hanescu).

The doubles results Wednesday were full of upsets in winners (WC) Benneteau/Mahut (d. (2)Bryan/Bryan in two tiebreaks), (3) Bjorkman/Woodbridge (d. Arthurs/Hanley), and Zimbabwe's finest Black/Ullyett (d. (1) Knowles/Nestor).

Thursday's line-up of third round action is (13) Canas vs. (18) Haas, (3) Henman vs. Youzhny, (14) Massu vs. (2) Hewitt, (1) Roddick vs. (Q) The Beast, (WC) Saulnier vs. Soderling, (6) Safin vs. "Tuna" Melzer, Czechs Damm/Suk vs. (3) Bjorkman/Woodbridge, Spadea vs. (Q) Stepanek, F-Lo vs. (11) Pavel, Hrbaty/Novak vs. (WC)Benneteau/Mahut, and (4)Bhupathi/The Beast vs. Gold medalist Chileans Gonzo/Massu.

Capriati Hangs On to Stay in WTA Championships Race

All three seeds in action won Wednesday at the WTA stop in Philadelphia in (3) Maria "Cell Phone Mannequin" Sharapova (d. Kostanic, who retired in the third with an ab strain), (4) Jennifer Capriati (d. American countrywoman Shaughnessy after dropping the first set), and hot-handed Aussie (8) Alicia Molik (d. Weingartner).

For Capriati the win meant holding on to her chance to qualify for the WTA Championships, needing to at least reach the final.

"It's very close," said Capriati on staying in the running for the year-end championships. "I don't want to just give it away so I am working my hardest."

In the only all-unseeded match, France's Nathalie Dechy defeated Slovak Tina Pisnik, baking a bagel in the second set.

On court Thursday are Petrova vs. Amy "Joltin' Joe" Frazier, Vera "The Crying Game" Zvonareva vs. Dechy, Mauresmo vs. Benesova, Neffa-de los Rios vs. Myskina, Jankovic vs. Molik, and Fedak vs. Venus.

Hantuchova Among Three Seeds Tumbling at WTA Quebec City

American No. 4 seed Jill Craybas was the only seeded winner (d. countrywoman Irvin 7-6 in the third) among the carnage Wednesday at the WTA stop in Quebec City, where three seeds fell by the wayside.

Among the losers were (2) Daniela Hantuchova (l. to (Q) Gloria), (5) Tamarine Tanasugarn (l. to Kurhajcova), and (7) Laura Granville (l. to Salerni).

In the only all-unseeded match, Canadian Stephanie Dubois trounced Israeli Tzipora Obziler, losing only three games.

On court Thursday in the Great White North are Craybas vs. Spears, Dubois vs. Jidkova, Schaul vs. Sucha, Perry vs. Karatantcheva, and Pierce vs. Diaz-Oliva.

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