Agassi Gets Fired Up for the Cup; Mirza Mania in Dubai

"My ankle was killing me," Mirza said. "It was the third time it has happened in the last three weeks. I was actually crying because I was in so much pain. But I took a pain killer and I think it took a couple of games for me to get used to the taping, and the pain killers started working 15 or 20 minutes after that."

Mirza was urged on by a loud Dubai crowd made up largely of Indian expatriates, with the US Open champ folding under the pressure.

"I had pressure and couldn't get into the games," Kuznetsova said. "She was playing great, but I didn't do what I had to do. I didn't attack at all...I still have so much to learn."

Mirza will next face unseeded Serb Jelena Jankovic.

There was one other upset on the day, with Daniela Hantuchova taking out No. 6 seed Alicia Molik in straight sets.

No. 7 Nathalie Dechy was the lone seed to advance Tuesday, coming from a set down to defeat Russian qualifier Vera Douchevina 7-6 in the third.

Other unseeded winners into the second round were Chinese qualifiers Jie Zheng (d. Medina Garrigues) and Na Li (d. Sugiyama in three), Russians Elena Likhovtseva (d. (WC) Sfar 7-6 in the third) and Elena Bovina (d. Schiavone in three), Jelena Jankovic (d. Farina Elia 6-1 in the third), and French qualifier Marion Bartoli (d. Dulko).

Scheduled for Wednesday are Myskina vs. Bartoli, Hantuchova vs. Likhovtseva, Bovina vs. Serena, Davenport vs. Zheng, Li vs. Schnyder, and Martinez vs. Dechy.

Davis Cup Previews: Chile at Russia, Sweden at France

Tennis-X will this week preview two of the first-round Davis Cup World Group matches each day leading to the Friday kick-off of the opening singles. Today's previews: Russia prepares to pound the ailing Chilean team, while Sweden travels to the red clay of France for a toss-up:

Chile at Russia
Site: Olympic Stadium, Moscow, Russia
Surface: Carpet indoors
Ball: Penn ATP

Without Athens Olympics singles gold medalist Nicolas Massu, out with a toe injury, this tie has turned from a thriller to a virtual walkover.

"Unfortunately, Nicolas is definitely ruled out for the Davis Cup," said Chilean team doctor Alejandro Orizola.

Massu not only won the singles in Athens, but doubles gold with countryman Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez, which made them formidable competition for the Russian squad of Marat Safin, Nikolay Davydenko, Mikhail Youzhny and Igor Andreev. But with Massu injured, his singles and doubles duties will likely fall heavily on the shoulders on Adrian Garcia, who competes primarily on the challenger circuit during the year.

The injury to Massu is all the more devastating considering this is Chile's first appearance in the World Group in 20 years. Chile's Marcelo Rios, who briefly ranked No. 1, never competed in World Group play during his career.

Davydenko will likely get the call at No. 2 singles for Russia since Youzhny has been battling injuries.

Russia captain Shamil Tarpishchev noted his home team would have the surface advantage, playing on a fast indoor carpet.

Give a sad nod to the Russians in what would otherwise have been a well-fought tie. Russia will face the winner of Sweden-France.

Sweden at France
Site: Hall Rhenus Sport, Strasbourg, France
Surface: Red clay indoors
Ball: Roland Garros French Open

In perhaps the best opening-round tie this year, with 10 Davis Cup championships between them in the Open Era (since 1968), Sweden travels to France to battle on the red clay. Either Sweden or France won the Cup in six of the eight years from 1994 to 2001, the last time either team held the Cup aloft.

Mats Wilander is happy he has a deep bench this week, with injuries to his top two youngsters in Joachim "The Jackhammer" Johansson and Robin Soderling.

"Because (Johansson) feels much better in his shoulder he is here competing for a place in the team," Wilander said in a statement.

It is difficult to believe that Wilander would throw The Jackhammer on red clay for a best-of-five series with an aching shoulder against the French ball retrievers. Which means bring in another Johansson, Thomas, the former Aussie Open winner, along with veteran Thomas Enqvist to replace Soderling. Rounding out the squad are doubles specialists Jonas Bjorkman and Simon Aspelin.

"Nobody is a shoe-in and we're trying to get everyone here into as good shape as possible," said Wilander, a practiced master of the pre-Davis Cup mental games, who has until Thursday to play with his line-up.

Wilander says he relishes the meeting with one of the top Davis Cup countries in modern times. 

"I guess they have a slight advantage but they have had five really good years in France and at some point luck runs out in Davis Cup and I'm hoping that it's this year," Wilander said. "Either way, it's always fun for me as a player and now as a captain to play a Davis Cup nation that has a great history in the tournament like France."

Captain Guy Forget will counter with Sebastien Grosjean, Arnaud Clement, Paul-Henri Mathieu, and doubles specialist Michael Llodra for France. Forget let his animosity show when he left doubles wizard Fabrice Santoro, who he has fought a number of verbal battle with, off the squad in favor of rookie Gael "Force" Monfils.

Thomas Johansson is tied with Grosjean (1-1) and Clement (4-4) in their career head-to-heads, while Enqvist has the career advantage over both Frenchmen in their meetings.

Were both Grosjean and Clement not in and out of tour play with injuries over the last year, the nod would have to go to the Frenchmen on their home red soil. But with the French a question mark in singles, the Swedes a question mark with injuries and the older-generation substitutes on clay, and with both squads fronting experienced doubles teams, this tie should be an exciting toss-up likely not decided until the Sunday singles.

X-CORRECT
Chileans Nicolas Massu and Fernando Gonzalez won the gold medal doubles at the Athens Olympics, while Croatians Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic won bronze.

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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
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