Moya, Flipper, Myskina Out; St. Poelten Match-Fixing?

Posted on February 24, 2005

Minar a Major Nightmare for Federer at ATP Dubai

World No. 1 Roger Federer, down 1-3 in the third set, out-dueled Czech Ivo Minar 6-7(5), 6-3, 7-6(5) to avoid a first-round upset at the ATP stop in Dubai Wednesday.

The 20-year-old qualifier from Prague, employing an aggressive net-rushing game, also led the Swiss 4-3 in the third-set tiebreak after a nervous double fault from Federer before the world No. 1 finally closed the door.

Some rust was apparent in the Swiss' game after arriving in Dubai only two days prior to the match.

"He had already won three matches here in the qualifying competition, which gave him a longer and better preparation," Federer said. "I had confidence after winning Rotterdam, but it was very different conditions, indoors, and this is outdoors, and I was struggling a little."

After trailing 1-3 in the third Federer took the next four games but then failed to serve out the match at 5-3.

"It can become dangerous against any player in the Top 200," Federer said. "Two or three times I thought the match might slip away, especially when I nearly went a double break down (in the third). I didn't have enough rhythm and I wasn't as aggressive as I would like to be. But he played as aggressively as I would have like to, and was in a very dominant position, so in the end for me it turned out to be a fine win."

No. 8 seed Ivan Ljubicic (d. (Q) Lisnard, baking two breadsticks) was also a first-round winner, with seeds into the quarterfinals Wednesday including (4) Andre Agassi (d. Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez), (5) Tommy Robredo (d. Berdych), and (6) Nikolay Davydenko (d. Hrbaty).

"I felt like it could have turned into a difficult match," said Agassi, who dropped only four games. "If you let Feliciano play on his terms he can control it with his forehand and he becomes quite effective."

German former Top 5-er Nicolas Kiefer was the only unseeded winner on the day, edging Korea's Hyung-Taik Lee in three to follow up his win over Marat Safin.

Thursday's line-up in Dubai features Schuettler vs. (7) Youzhny, (8) Ljubicic vs. Verdasco, Andreev vs. (3) Henman, and a blockbuster in (1) Federer vs. former No. 1 (WC) Ferrero (Club Fed leads career meetings 4-3, including winning the last two).

Ancic Stops Philippoussis at ATP Scottsdale

No. 3 seed Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic stopped unseeded Mark Philippoussis' win streak at one on Wednesday, dismissing the big-serving Aussie 6-1, 7-6(3) in second-round play at the ATP stop in Scottsdale.

Philippoussis' first-round win earlier in the week was his first victory since 2004 Wimbledon.

Not so lucky were seeds (6) Irakli "Freak Show" Labadze, rolled 2-and-2 by Ecuador's Giovanni "Little L." Lapentti, and (8) Lars Burgsmuller, defeated 4-and-4 by American Glenn "I.C." Weiner.

"I'm really happy to be in my first ATP quarterfinal and I was a little nervous at the beginning but I played well and sticked (sic) to my game plan," said the younger Lapentti brother. "I knew he wouldn't be too consistent from the baseline and I just made him move around."

Winning the only first-round match of the day was Belgium Christopher "The Roach" Rochus (d. Jeff "Baby Krajicek" Morrison in three), while Aussie serving machine Wayne Arthurs (d. Gimelstob 7-6 in the third) moved into the quarters.

"It's nice to win another close one and I would have been disappointed if I lost because I didn't face a break point on my serve in the entire match," said Arthurs, who threw 18 aces at Dent. "I served well in the tiebreak and there's always a little luck involved in a third set tiebreak."

In first-round doubles play the top three seeds advanced in Americans (1) Bryan/Bryan (d. countrymen Gambill/Gimelstob), Aussies (2) Arthurs/Hanley (d. Kim/Morrison in three), and the Swiss/German combo of (3) Allegro/Kohlmann (d. Blake/Blake in three).

Scheduled for Thursday on the hardcourts are The Roach vs. (5) K.Kim, (LL) Goldstein vs. Sanguinetti, Tipsarevic vs. the injured and flu-ridden (2) Spadea, and Blake vs. Salzenstein in the all-American nightcap.

Moya Upset Again by Puerta at ATP Acapulco

For the second time in three weeks, Spaniard Carlos Moya is checking out of his hotel room early after a loss at the hands of wildcard veteran Mariano Puerta.

The Argentine defeated the defending-champion Spaniard 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 Wednesday at Acapulco on the heels of his upset performance two weeks ago in Buenos Aires.

"Mariano played great today and I had only a few chances to control the game," said a succinct Moya after the match. "I did not take them and I ended up losing."

Other seeded players into the quarters were (3) Guillermo Canas (d. (Q) Devilder), (5) Jiri Novak (d. O.Hernandez), (6) Filippo Volandri (d. A.Martin), and (8) Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal (d. Spanish countryman Ventura).

"I am feeling really good this week and my goal is to win the event as I did two years ago," Canas said. "I still have the bad feeling from last year when I lost first round. It is true that I came late from Brazil after the final in (Costa Do) Sauipe, but this year I came a bit earlier and I had the time to get use to the conditions."

No. 7 seed Dave Ferrer was upset by Spanish countryman Felix Mantilla, who was joined in the quarters by another unseeded Spaniard in Al Montanes (d. Zib 15-13 in the second-set tiebreak), and unseeded Gaucho Agustin Calleri (d. Monaco).

Playing in the dirt Thursday in the quarterfinal line-up are (5) Novak vs. Calleri, (WC) Puerta vs. Mantilla, (3) Canas vs. (8) The Prodigy, and (6) Volandri vs. Montanes.

"I am not playing at my best," said The Prodigy, who assessed his chances in the next round against Canas. "I am going to have to play at my best since he is 11 in the world, playing at his best and we all know he is a very tough opponent. I am sure it is going to be a very exciting match."

Myskina, Bovina Upset, Mauresmo Survives at WTA Doha

Two-time defending champion and No. 3 seed Anastasia Myskina was handed a straight-set loss Wednesday at the WTA stop in Doha, a victim of the resurgent Spaniard and former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez.

"The momentum for me started in Thailand," said Martinez of her recent sterling play. "I feel healthy. Beating the No. 5 in the world does a lot for my confidence."

Top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo narrowly avoided an upset, forced to come back from a set down against Serb wildcard Ana Ivanovic.

"It took me a while to get adjusted today -- getting used to the conditions," Mauresmo said. "It's so different from playing indoors and in Europe. But once I got my rhythm I felt good. She's a very good player and still so young. I think she will continue to do well."

No. 2 seed Maria "Grunt-o-matic" Sharapova had an easier time Wednesday, steamrolling Gisela "Sgt." Dulko, baking breadsticks for the Argentine with a 6-1, 6-1 win.

"I am still not a hundred percent but I was happy to dictate the match today and get used to the conditions here in a proper match setting," said Sharapova, who skipped the Paris Open with the flu.

No. 4 Alicia Molik (d. Aussie countrywoman Pratt) also advanced into the quarterfinals, while No. 6 Elena "Lena" Bovina was defeated in three sets by the unseeded Daniela Hantuchova, and No. 5 Patty "Handshake" Schnyder was outlasted in three by Russian qualifier Maria Kirilenko.

Other un-seeds into the quarterfinals were France's Marion Bartoli (d. Kostanic) and Italy's Francesca Schiavone (d. Sugiyama in three).

On Thursday's schedule in Doha is Hantuchova vs. Martinez, Bartoli vs. Sharapova, Mauresmo vs. Kirilenko, and Molik vs. Schiavone.

Top Seeds Pennetta, Shaughnessy Win Openers at WTA Acapulco

Top-seeded Italian Flavia Pennetta (d. Schruff) and No. 2 Meghann Shaughnessy (d. (WC) Torres Sandoval) won their openers to lead the seeds Wednesday at the WTA stop in Acapulco.

Two seeds advanced into the quarterfinals on the dirt in (3) Emilie Loit (d. French countrywoman Beltrame) and (5) Dally Randriantefy (d. Perebiynis), while orchestrating upsets on the red were Colombia's Catalina Castano (d. (4) Jidkova, coming from a set down) and American Lilia Osterloh (d. (7) Domachowska).

Unseeded winners Wednesday were Swiss Emmanuelle Gagliardi (d. Pin) and Slovak Ludmila Cervanova (d. Irvin, baking two breadsticks 1-and-1).

Scheduled for Thursday on the dirt are Parra Santonja vs. Shaughnessy, Gagliardi vs. Ant. Serra Zanetti, and Pennetta vs. Diaz-Oliva.

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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Facing the powerful German team of Tommy Haas, Rainer Schuettler and Nicolas Kiefer next week in Davis Cup non-World Group play, South African captain Kevin Curren may have to think outside the box. Under political pressure to go with the "next generation" of young South African players, Curren is rightfully considering bringing former Top 10er Wayne Ferreira out of retirement in singles and doubles to avert a blowout. Ferreira has been named to the South African team, but his conditioning is a question mark. "We expect that Wayne Ferreira will play," said German captain Patrick Kuhnen. "However, we approach the Johannesburg tie feeling very positive and I believe we should win." South Africa has only one player ranked within the Top 200 in Weslie Moodie. South Africa may have caught a break this week, with Haas withdrawing from Scottsdale citing a bad back and the flu. Kuhnen would not elaborate on the German line-up in singles and doubles. "I nominated the three best single players in Germany and (Alexander) Waske, one of the best doubles player," Kuhnen said. "Everything else will be decided later on."...The towering Croatian serving machine "Dr." Ivo Karlovic has been left off the Croat Davis Cup team for next week's tie against the U.S. "He is not injured," Croatia's Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic told the media. "I think you should speak to the captain (Nikki Pilic) about this. There was a misunderstanding between him and the captain and I don't want to get into this."...With Tim Henman blowing off the Davis Cup for Britain, 17-year-old Andy Murray is being tapped to likely make his first live-rubber appearance against Israel next week. Murray has seemingly recovered from a back injury and is this week competing at a futures-level event in Portugal: "I've been involved in two previous Davis Cup squads (on the bench). Hopefully, I will get to play this time although nothing is certain."....Andy Roddick, Roger Federer and Carlos Moya will headline an exhibition on March 11 during the Masters Series-Indian Wells to benefit UNICEF and other worldwide relief efforts. Other participants will include 2005 Australian Open champion Marat Safin, Tim Henman, Guillermo Coria, Gaston Gaudio and David Nalbandian, with additional players to be named. The Tennis Channel will produce and air a highlight show that gives a behind-the-scenes look at the charity event. "We are extraordinarily happy to use the power of television to spread this message and assist those who were affected by this horrific event," said Steve Bellamy, president and founder of The Tennis Channel. "This is a blockbuster field of tennis stars, a field that anyone would want to watch in action. Their participation in this effort will simultaneously make for a dramatic, exciting television event." Bellamy then pointed his finger at the assembled media and proclaiming, "Behold, mortals, the power of television!" Just kidding...According to the Associated Press: "Georgian tennis player Irakli Labadze has been asked to appear in an Austrian court as part of an investigation into alleged match-fixing. A court in Korneuburg, a town outside Vienna, issued a subpoena for Labadze to offer sworn testimony about his first-round loss to Austria's Julian Knowle at last year's Raiffeisen Grand Prix in St. Poelten. Knowle, an unseeded doubles specialist, beat the fourth-seeded Labadze 7-5, 4-6, 6-2. A man identified by the court as a friend of Labadze's, Martin Fuehrer, sued the betting company Cashpoint in Korneuburg when the firm refused to pay $23,000 for a winning bet against the Georgian. "This was actually one of the best matches I played in 2004 and everyone who was present could tell that I won deservedly," Knowle said. "Any other claims are rubbish." Cashpoint alleges that Fuehrer spoke to Labadze before the match on May 17, 2004. "We have evidence that Mr. Fuehrer knew Labadze was going to lose," said Cashpoint spokesman Michael Wondra. "Under such conditions we cannot accept any bet." St. Poelten tournament officials declined comment. The ATP had not been informed about the court case, according to Nicola Arzani, director of communication at tennis' governing body."...Tim Henman on his website after beating Brit countryman "Grinning" Greg Rusedski: "The match was emotionally draining -- and by the time I got back to the hotel and did my post-match workout in the pool I didn't get to sleep until about 4 a.m. That takes its toll on my body -- because I'm not as young as I once was -- so Wednesday was all about trying to do everything I could in order to be in the best possible shape by the time my second round rolls around."...Fabrice "The Original Wizard" Santoro, last year's Aussie Open winner and French Open runner-up in doubles, was shocked at being left off the French Davis Cup team for next week's tie with Sweden. "I cannot choose someone who has had average results. He has also not played much in recent months because of injuries," captain Guy Forget said...ABC Sport Australia reports that rather than being passed over, Mark Philippoussis had told Aussie D-Cup captain John Fitzgerald that he was unavailable to compete next week since he did not feel ready...Giovanni "Little L." Lapentti had only one tour-level match win prior to reaching the quarterfinals at Scottsdale this week...While Tim Henman has bailed on the British Davis Cup effort, he has no qualms about making bad recommendations for the struggling squad, such as giving perennial loser Arvind Parmar another shot: "Arvind has improved so much. He had a disappointing result, but he's not going to think 'This is it' every time he steps on a Davis Cup court. There is every confidence he can perform well." Tell that to the Brit fans still stinging from that fifth-rubber loss to Ecuador on your own grasscourts a few years back, leading two sets to love...The Pakistan Daily Times on Indian pin-up girl Sania Mirza, who has taken a wildcard at Dubai: "As much as her powerful strokes and positive attitude, Mirza's good looks and charm have floored Indians and attracted sponsors in hordes. At least 18 major companies approached her managers doubles specialist Mahesh Bhupathi's sports management Globosport company but only three have been given the green signal to endorse her. "We have numerous offers but we are being selective," said her father Imran Mirza. "We don't want commercial interests to affect her game." The youngster, who sports a glittering nose-stud, is reportedly as much in demand as many frontline cricketers and only below superstars Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.""...Aussie D-Cup captain Wally Masur on his top dog Lleyton Hewitt: "When you've got the No. 2 player in the world, he just arrives and everyone just comes along for the ride. He leads by example. Lleyton's not necessarily the kind of guy who's going to sit down and give a rousing speech to the players, but he just leads by example. He's so professional. We just like the way he goes about his business. There's no question, even though he's one of the younger guys in the team, he's a team leader. We all look towards him. He comes from a bit of a footballing background and he understands the team environment."...Austrian Stefan Koubek, currently banned for a doping violation but hoping the ITF would let him play Davis Cup, now says he has injured his knee and is out of action for at least 10 days...Due out in April is the book On Being John McEnroe, from London journalist Tim Adams...Ken Flach has been named executive vice president of Tennis Naples (Florida) LLC, which runs the Naples Bath & Tennis Club. Ken's brother, Rick, is a tennis pro at the Ritz Carlton in Naples. Flach will step down from his job as head men's tennis coach at Vanderbilt University. "I always said I would someday retire to Naples. I guess I'm just coming down earlier than I thought it would be," Flach told the Naples Daily News. "It's tough to leave the team here in the middle of the season but I'm excited about the opportunity at the Naples Bath & Tennis Club."