Ferrero, Blake Lead Comeback Winners at ATP Indian Wells

Posted on March 12, 2005

Two players currently mounting comebacks after 2004 campaigns halted by injury, former No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero (d. Andreev) and American James Blake (d. A.Martin), led the unseeded winners on day one of men's play Friday at the ATP stop in Indian Wells.

The Spaniard Ferrero suffered through a number of injuries and illnesses in 2004, as did Blake whose feature folly came after sliding head-first into a net pole at Roland Garros. Ferrero's win Friday set up an all-star Spanish second-round clash against another former No. 1 and French Open winner, countryman Carlos Moya.

"I played against him a lot of times, a lot of important matches, so we know each other very good," Ferrero said. "I think is going to be interesting match for me because I'm going up, I'm playing well. I'm very hungry to win matches. I will go to the court with everything."

Former French No. 1 junior Gael "Force" Monfils was the only wildcard winner out of four wildcards in action Friday, defeating American Jeff "Baby Krajicek" Morrison in straight sets. Wildcards on the losing end were Americans Alex Kuznetsov (l. to Schuettler) and "The" Donald Young (l. to (Q) Clement), and the continuation of Mark Philippoussis' slide with the cradle-dipping newly-engaged Aussie losing to French qualifier Gregory Carraz.

Kevin Kim was one of the three Americans to advance (d. (Q) Giovanni "Little L" Lapentti), with six of the nine Americans in play Friday hitting the skids.

Other un-seeds into the second round were Max "The Beast" Mirnyi (d. Xavier "X-Man" Malisse 7-6 in the third), Argentines Agustin Calleri (d. Tursunov in three) and Juan "The Principality" Monaco (d. Dupuis), Spaniards Dave Ferrer (d. (Q) Vahaly) and Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco (d. (Q) Odesnik), Swedes Thomas Enqvist (d. Beck, bagel in the first) and Jonas Bjorkman (d. Irakli "Freak Show" Labadze), Czechs Tomas Berdych (d. Arazi) and qualifier Tomas Zib (d. Volandri), Britain's "Grinning" Greg Rusedski (d. (Q) Salzenstein in three), Dane Kenneth Carlsen (d. Florian "Oscar" Mayer), Aussie qualifier Wayne "The Serving Machine" Arthurs (d. "You Say" Potito Starace), Frenchman Fabrice "The Original Wizard" Santoro (d. Ricardo Mello "Yello"), Belgian Olivier "The Roach" Rochus (d. Zabaleta), American qualifier Paul Goldstein (d. H.-T. Lee), Armenia's Sargis "Sarge" Sargsian (d. (Q) Reynolds), and Croatian "Dr." Ivo Karlovic (d. Julien "United Colors of" Benneteau).

"I got a little bit more aggressive, started chipping and charging on his second serve and taking a few more risks," said Rusedski after his three-set win over the big-serving American qualifier Salzenstein. "I haven't had the ideal preparation for this week. I was just pleased with the way I fought and got through."

This week in Indian Wells marks the one-year anniversary of Rusedski being exonerated by an anti-doping tribunal after testing positive for nandrolone. The Brit is looking to shoot up the ATP Rankings with no points to defend in Indian Wells.

On tap for Saturday in IW are Gambill vs. Fish in an all-American, Verdasco vs. (3) Roddick, (Q) Arthurs vs. (9) Agassi, (12) Robredo vs. (WC) Monfils, (Q) Clement vs. (6) Henman, (5) Guillermo "El Fragile" Coria vs. K.Kim, Mirnyi vs. (8) Gaudio, Acasuso vs. Robby "Baby Courier" Ginepri, (10) Nalbandian vs. Monaco in an all-ARG, (15) Davydenko vs. (WC) Blake, Calleri vs. (31) Paradorn "The Thai Fighter" Srichaphan, Llodra vs. (LL) Sanguinetti, (32) Jurgen "Tuna" Melzer vs. (Q) Goldstein, Rusedski vs. (17) Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez, (Q) Lisnard vs. Muller, Nieminen vs. Luis "Me So" Horna, (21) Pavel vs. (Q) Carraz, Cyril "The Chef" Saulnier vs. Hanescu, Enqvist vs. (18) Youzhny, (26) Novak vs. O.Rochus, Bjorkman vs. (23) T.Johansson in an all-Swedish, Calatrava vs. Mathieu, (Q) Delgado vs. Hernych, and (29) Kiefer vs. Sargsian.