Clijsters vs Venus at WTA Antwerp, Roddick vs Ginepri at ATP Memphis on Friday
Posted on February 18, 2005
Federer Spanks Swiss Pretender at ATP RotterdamWorld No. 1 Roger Federer continued to find little resistance Thursday at the ATP indoor stop in Rotterdam, brushing aside Swiss countryman and qualifier Stanislas Wawrinka 6-1, 6-4.
"It was the first time he's ever played against someone like me, it was awkward for both of us," Federer said. "I could see he was nervous. I'm happy I took advantage and won the match."
No. 3 Tim Henman (d. Llodra) was the only other seeded winner on the day, joined in the quarters by un-seeds Thomas Johansson (d. (5) Joachim "The Jackhammer" Johansson in an all-Swedish, proving who has the bigger Johansson), and two Croats in Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic (d. (Q) Olivier "The Roach" Rochus) and Ivan Ljubicic (d. (WC) Schalken in three).
"Today was a good day for me," said the better Johansson, who out-aced The Jackhammer with 15. "I played really well with no unforced errors. I returned his serve well -- that's the key if you play against him. I felt really good from the first ball today."
Friday's quarterfinal line-up is T.Johansson vs. Stepanek, Ljubicic vs. Srichaphan, (1) Federer vs. (6) Davydenko, and (3) Henman vs. Ancic.
Fish, Spadea Fall at ATP Memphis
Thursday was a difficult day at the ATP stop in Memphis if you were an American seed, with (3) Vince Spadea (lost to Dupuis, retiring with a shoulder injury) and (6) Mardy Fish (l. to American countryman Robby "Baby Courier" Ginepri) sent home before the quarterfinals.
"Until it was 7-5, 2-0, he served big, then he served one 18 mph and said 'My shoulder hurts me,'" Dupuis said of Spadea.
Spadea said he has been dealing with the shoulder injury for about a month.
"I knew coming into the tournament I was running on empty," Spadea said. "I was just trying to see if it would get better and I could get a couple of quick wins and get into the tournament, but it was too tough to go out there and play powerfully with that shoulder."
No. 2 Tommy Haas (d. K.Kim) led the seeds into the quarters, joined by (5) Xavier "X-Man" Malisse (d. (Q) Frank "You Can" Dancevic), and (8) Max "The Beast" Mirnyi (d. Saulnier).
"Kevin Kim has made a huge jump in the last four or five months," Haas said. "He's been playing some really good tennis and he didn't make any mistakes from the baseline. He really pushed me to play some of my best tennis."
Other unseeded players into the quarterfinals Thursday were American Jan-Mike Gambill (d. Irakli "Freak Show" Labadze in two tiebreaks) continuing his one-handed experiment, and Denmark's Kenneth Carlsen (d. Arthurs).
Friday's quarterfinal line-up in Memphis is Gambill vs. Carlsen, (8) The Beast vs. Dupuis, (5) X-Man vs. (2) Haas, and (1) Roddick vs. Ginepri in an all-American night finale.
Nadal, Mello do Double Duty at ATP Costa Do Sauipe
Two rounds of singles were completed Thursday at the ATP claycourt stop in Costa Do Sauipe to make up for rain on Wednesday, with four exhausted players gaining the semifinals.
There were two upsets in morning second-round play, with Agustin Calleri defeating (3) Juan Ignacio Chela in an all-Argentine, and another Gaucho stealing the spotlight in qualifier Edgardo Massa, who saved one match point in upending (8) Al Costa 7-6 in the third.
Other morning winners into the quarters were Aussie qualifier Peter Luczak (d. (WC) Sa 6-0 in the third in the brutal heat), Brazil's Ricardo Mello "Yello" (d. (Q) Vassallo Arguello, who retired due to the heat), and (6) Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal (d. Spanish countryman Calatrava).
In the afternoon quarterfinals, winning second matches were (6) Nadal (d. Calleri in three), Mello (d. Ventura), and (Q) Luczak (d. (Q) Massa 6-1 in the third), joined by Spaniard Al Martin (d. (7) Zabaleta).
"I told myself to hang in there because, you never know, he's had a difficult 7-6 in the third earlier today and he is probably a little tired," said Luczak, who gained his first career ATP semifinal. "I was lucky to win the second set and in the third I think he was really tired and gave up."
Friday's semifinals in Costa Do Sauipe feature A.Martin vs. (Q) Luczak, and Brazilian homecountry favorite Mello vs. (6) Nadal.
Mauresmo, Myskina, Molik Into Quarters at WTA Antwerp
Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo defeated French compatriot Mary Pierce in straight sets for the second consecutive week to gain the quarterfinals Thursday at the WTA stop in Antwerp.
"My game is becoming more and more aggressive but at the same time I am able to remain calm and focused," said Mauresmo, expounding on the philosophical tip. "I know that tennis can be disappointing but I am only thinking about the good things that it can bring."
Mauresmo, who is currently negotiating with former French Open winner Yannick Noah to help her mental game, said improving her net play will be the key to breaking through for a first grand slam title.
Other seeds into the quarterfinals Thursday were (2) Anastasia Myskina (d. Tatiana "Hot Pants" Golovin in three) and (4) Alicia Molik (d. Maleeva 7-6 in the third).
"It was a tight match, but I expected no less," Myskina said. "Tatiana is a very good player."
Two unseeded players also navigated their way into the quarters in Czech Klara "Kouky" Koukalova (d. (LL) Schaul) and Slovak Katarina Srebotnik (d. Chakvetadze 7-6 in the third, winning the battle of the qualifiers).
Friday's quarterfinal match-ups are Molik vs. Koukalova, Mauresmo vs. Schnyder, Clijsters vs. Venus, and Srebotnik vs. Myskina.
Zvonareva Leads All-Seeded Semifinals at WTA Memphis
All four seeds in action won through to the semifinals at the WTA stop in Memphis Thursday, led by top-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva who stymied wildcard Katerina Bondarenko 7-5, 6-0.
"I just got used to what she was doing," Zvonareva said of her second-set roll. "I wasn't giving her many chances...I think I played better today compared to the day before."
Also into the semis were (3) Meghann Shaughnessy (d. Cho), (7) Nicole Vaidisova (d. J.Jackson in three), and (8) Evgenia Linetskaya (d. Morigami).
"I should have played more aggressive," said Vaidisova, who threw down nine aces in her three-set win over Jackson. "In the second set, I had five match points. In big matches, if you lose those points, you don't get second chances."
Friday's semifinal schedule is (3) Shaughnessy vs. (7) Vaidisova, and (1) Zvonareva vs. (8) Linetskaya in an all-Russian.
Zuluaga On Target for Four in a Row at WTA Bogota
Top-seeded Colombian Fabiola Zuluaga remained on target to win her fourth consecutive WTA Bogota title, on Thursday crushing Argentina's Mariana Diaz-Oliva 6-2, 6-1.
Also into the quarterfinals Thursday on the dirt were (2) Flavia Pennetta (d. (Q) Szavay), (5) Barbora Strycova (d. Gubacsi, bagel in the second), and Spanish qualifier Lourdes Dominguez Lino (d. (8) Kurhajcova).
Wildcard Clarisa Fernandez led (3) Emilie Loit 7-6(1), 0-1 when rain stopped play for the day.
On tap for Friday in Bogota is Fernandez vs. Loit (to finish), Zuluaga vs. Castano, Birnerova vs. Dominguez Lino, Strycova vs. Pennetta, and Gagliardi vs. Fernandez or Loit.
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