Ferrero v Nadal Today; U.S. Gov. Investigates ATP Drug Testing
Posted on April 6, 2005
Costa Ousts Top Seed, Ferrero v Nadal Today at ATP ValenciaAlbert Costa, unseeded at the ATP stop in Valencia, led the Spanish charge Tuesday when the former Roland Garros champ ousted top-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko 7-6(2), 1-6, 6-3 in opening-round play.
Other members of the Spanish Armada advancing were (5) David Ferrer (d. Benneteau), (6) Fernando Verdasco (d. (Q) Berrer), Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (d. Kohlschrieber), Felix Mantilla (d. O.Hernandez, bagel in the first), Albert Martin (d. countryman Montanes from a set down), and qualifier I. Navarro Pastor (d. (8) Carlsen).
Other un-seeds into the second round were Italians Potito Starace (d. Calatrava) and qualifier Federico Luzzi (d. (WC) Corretja in two tiebreaks), and Frenchman Anthony Dupuis (d. (Q) Djokovic).
On court Wednesday in Valencia are Mantilla vs. (2) Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez, Costa vs. Koubek, the former No. 1 Ferrero vs. (3) Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal in the day's popcorn match, (Q) Luzzi vs. (6) Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco, and (Q) Navarro Pastor vs. Dupuis.
Volandri Weathers Moroccan Challenge at ATP Casablanca
No. 2-seeded Italian Filippo Volandri put down the challenge of wildcard Younes El Aynaoui, who is returning to the tour after a foot injury, defeating the Moroccan 6-3, 7-6(5) Tuesday on clay at the ATP stop in Casablanca.
"It wasn't easy," Volandri said of beating the home-country El Aynaoui. "I was 5-1 up in the second set and I thought I had won the match. He had some lucky shots, hit some lines, and little by little I started thinking too much and this is never good. Plus the crowd was so much behind him, that is game grew and he could have turned the situation."
The Last of the Moroccans were eliminated Tuesday, with wildcard Hicham Arazi losing to defending champion Santiago Ventura in straight sets.
Other seeded winners on the day were (5) Florian Mayer (d. Ulihrach) and (6) Mariano Puerta (d. Behrend), while upset victims were (3) Luis Horna (l. to Clement) and (4) Fabrice Santoro (l. to Vanek in three).
Un-seeds into the second round were Spain's Dave Sanchez (d. (Q) Ascione), French qualifiers Gilles Simon (d. Acasuso in three) and Marc Gicquel (d. (Q) Mertinak from a set down), Argentina's Juan Monaco (d. Sanguinetti), and Serb Janko Tipsarevic (d. Mutis).
Scheduled for Wednesday on the red dirt are D.Sanchez vs. (8) C.Rochus, Zib vs. the defending champ Ventura, (7) Muller vs. Tipsarevic, and Nieminen vs. (2) Volandri.
Davenport, Venus Leads Winners Tuesday at WTA Amelia Island
World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport (d. (Q) Brandi) and contender to the throne and No. 5 seed Venus Williams (d. Sucha) won their claycourt openers Tuesday at the WTA stop in Amelia Island.
Davenport struggled to a 6-4, 6-3 win over the Puerto Rican Brandi, looking to find her clay feet coming off the hardcourt stop in Miami
"I was a little bit rusty out there," Davenport said. "I didn't feel that comfortable on the court, my movement wasn't what I'd like and I was letting her dictate points. When I'm playing my best no one does that, but I think it's more the first match on clay after so long on hardcourts, it just takes time to adjust."
Venus, who said her ascension to No. 1 is a "given" after her win over sister Serena in Miami, was in shining form as she fed a breadstick and bagel to Slovak Martina Sucha in a 6-1, 6-0 win.
"I think it's just the change from the faster surface," said Venus of her thigh being wrapped for the match. "Today was my third day on clay and I woke up with a sore groin, so it was nice this match was quick."
Other seeded winners Tuesday were (9) Elena Likhovtseva (d. Smashnova from a set down), (12) Silvia Farina Elia (d. Italian countrywoman Garbin), and (13) Ai Sugiyama (d. Strycova from a set down), with the lone upset victim (10) Karolina Sprem, who blew a one-set lead in falling to Spanish doubles standout Virginia Ruano Pascual.
Unseeded players into the second round were China's Shuai Peng (d. Shaughnessy, who retired in the second with a back injury), American Lisa Raymond (d. (Q) Obziler, bagel in the second), former Top 5-ranked Bulgarian Maggie Maleeva (d. Groenefeld), and qualifiers Marta Domachowska of Poland (d. (Q) Morigami) and Czech Kveta Peschke (d. (Q) Castano).
Wednesday's line-up in Amelia is Vera "The Crying Game" Zvonareva vs. Peng, Pierce vs. Daniilidou, Myskina vs. Peer, Razzano vs. Molik, Randriantefy vs. Serena, Maleeva vs. Petrova, Patty "Handshake" Schnyder vs. Chladkova, Raymond vs. Asagoe, Jankovic vs. Martinez, Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues vs. Farina Elia, in doubles Morariu/Pierce vs. Raymond/Stubbs, Peschke vs. Amy "Joltin' Joe" Frazier, Gisela "Sgt." Dulko vs. Likhovtseva, and Ruano Pascual vs. Domachowska.
DAILY TENNIS-X E-NEWSLETTER
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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
From the Venus Williams fan newsletter: "I used to think that I was not a lucky girl but recently I changed my mind. It's like this, anyone who knows me knows that I am bonkers over this band 311. For me they are the best and its exciting to be crazy over something and for me its 311...Last December I was on the plane to Los Angeles to get a flight to connect to Australia. When I got on the plane there was a guy sitting in like seat 2F and I was thinking, wow that sure looks like Nick Hexum (from 311) but of course since I was not (this has since changed) a lucky girl, I couldn't possibly be fortunate enough to be on the same plane with one of my favorite guys. I just went to my seat, crashed for 5 hours and didn't think about it again. Well once I got to baggage claim I was just staring over there at him thinking nah, its not. Well guess what, it was! The next thing I know he's walking over introducing himself, "Hey I'm Nick Hexum, you were at our Halloween show." AAHHHH! I could believe it. I couldn't say too much because I have a track record for saying the wrong thing (to Puff Daddy, Heidei Klum, Seal, David Hasselhoff, just to name a few) and I was determined not to put my foot in my mouth this time. Well my bags came first and I had to split first, but I managed not to say anything offensive before I left. I have to give a shout out to Mase from De la Soul for hooking me up." That's a great deal of "B"-level name dropping...From The Tennis Channel: "Hey Tennis Channel Fans! This spring, The Tennis Channel is rolling out on Comcast Cable systems throughout America. Now many of you will have access to round-the-clock coverage of the game's greatest matches, hottest players, and best tips for improving your game. So stay tuned, and call your local cable operator to find out when The Tennis Channel will be available in your area." How about YOU tell us? Is it coming in locally across the nation at different times? Why do I have to get on the horn if Comcast is "rolling it out"? Give us the damn Tennis Channel!...Gustavo Kuerten, back from hip surgery, is setting the bar high: "My main expectation and motivation is Roland Garros. Every time I go there it's something special. Everything that happens to me at Roland Garros is wonderful. It is a place I love to be."...The House Government Reform Committee, the same U.S. government office investigating drugs in Major League Baseball, has now asked ATP CEO Mark Miles for their drug-testing methods (but apparently not the WTA)...Martina Navratilova can be seen sporting the "Olivia" sleeveless t-shirt at Amelia Island, the gay travel company she is endorsing...Tennis Week contributor Roger Davidson in his piece "Author To WTA Tour: Give Us More Events Each Week" (who are your headline writers?) says the WTA needs lees weeks like Miami where the top players and media are concentrated on one event, and more weeks where there are three events with -- with what, Maria Sharapova in Asia as the only Top 20 seed in the draw, like last year?: "In my carefully considered opinion, the WTA Tour needs more tournaments occurring simultaneously. There are now only three weeks during the season -- January 10th, February 14th and October 3rd -- where there are even three WTA tournaments. The more audiences get a chance to see pro tennis live, the larger the fan and future player bases, which is good for the game." It's good for the game to have the top players facing each other and developing rivalries, not winning the Seoul event with facing another Top 20 player. Time to re-carefully consider that opinion...Humorous to have X-staff on site at Amelia Island, watching the green Florida Times-Union writers ask questions of players such as "So you've been on the tour a long time as a veteran (peering sideways into a Player Guide), so you must be familiar with (other player's) game, being on the tour so long?" Always interesting when the local paper sends the 20-year-old intern to cover the once-a-year tennis event...Andre Agassi's French Open preparation will include Houston and the back-to-back Masters Series events in Rome and Hamburg...Is it true that Karolina "The Spreminator" Sprem's results are circling the toilet because she's dating the same guy who put Jelena Dokic's results in the can? That guy is getting around...Richard Fromberg is playing Challenger doubles this week with charge Chris "Penthouse" Guccione...Moscow News reports that Maria Sharapova has turned down an offer to play Fed Cup for Russia, rather than other news outlets reporting it was the Russian coach who decided not to employ Sharapova. Face-saving spin mode for the authoritarian Russian Tennis Federation?