Serena Ex Moves On; Safin Confidence Retreats

Posted on April 21, 2005

Safin Loses Opener; Gaudio, Coria, Nadal Win at ATP Barcelona

Australian Open winner Marat Safin's up and down season continued on the downward tip Wednesday at the ATP claycourt stop in Barcelona where the top-seeded Russian was dismissed 6-4, 6-4 in his opening-round match against Jose Acasuso.

"I slowed down after the Australian Open and haven't got past two rounds since then," Safin said. "It's frustrating to be in this position and there's a lot of pressure to get back. I lost all my confidence."

Safin was likewise unhappy with the reception he received from Barcelona fans expecting a better effort.

"I wasn't angry with the crowd, they were angry with me," Safin said. "But if they don't like what I do then I won't come, the tournament can save some money and I can save some time and everyone will be happy."

A handful of Roland Garros contenders advanced Wednesday among the seeded players in (2) Gaston Gaudio (d. Mantilla), (4) Guillermo Coria (d. Wessels in three), (5) Guillermo Canas (d. Arthurs), (8) Rafael Nadal (d. Muller, bagel in the first), (10) Dominik Hrbaty (d. Starace), (11) Radek Stepanek (d. Ventura), and (13) David Ferrer (d. Hernych).

The three seeded upsets on the day were orchestrated by Spain's Al Martin (d. countryman (6) Robredo) and the confidence-building Juan Carlos Ferrero (d. countryman (12) Lopez), Argentine Agustin Calleri (d. (14) Chela 7-6 in the third), and Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka (d. (15) Srichaphan 7-6 in the third).

"Well it's disappointing to lose as the defending champion but it was my first match in over a month," Robredo said. "It was very complicated today and he was playing very well. I wasn't feeling great and it's my first match on clay which takes time to get used to."

On the dirt Thursday in Barcelona are (4) Guillermo "El Fragile" Coria vs. Calleri in an all-Argentine, A.Martin vs. Ferrero in an all-Spanish, (10) Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty vs. (8) Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal, Max "The Beast" Mirnyi vs. (3) Moya, (13) Ferrer vs. (2) Gaudio, (11) Stepanek vs. (5) Canas, (7) Davydenko vs. (9) T.Johansson, and Acasuso vs. (Q) Wawrinka.

Roddick Powers Into Quarterfinals at ATP Houston

Top-seeded Andy Roddick improved his career record to 5-0 versus American countryman Wednesday at the ATP stop in Houston with a 7-6(6), 6-4 win to advance to the quarterfinals at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championships.

"He keeps coming up with new ways to try to beat me, and I keep trying to figure out ways to hold him off," Roddick said. "I got by tonight with a couple of points. I'm scratching and clawing and trying to keep it that way."

Ginepri came back from 3-6 in the tiebreak to level it at 6-6 before Roddick clinched the set.

"It's his serve, he seems to find a way to win," Ginepri said. "The last few times we've played, he wins the tiebreakers. It seems to take the momentum away from me. You've got to keep fighting. One of these days it will come."

Other winners on the day were (3) Tommy Haas (d. Morrison), (7) Jurgen Melzer (d. (Q) Okun from a set down), and (8) Luis Horna (d. (LL) Goldstein in three).

On tap for Thursday in Houston are Calatrava vs. (2) Agassi, (WC) Blake vs. Dupuis, (6) Grosjean vs. O.Hernandez, and K.Kim vs. (Q) N.Lapentti.

Fed Cup Preview: Argentina at Spain

This year the Fed Cup kicks off its new format, with only eight teams competing in the elite "World Group I" to lift the Fed Cup for 2005. The Fed Cup final also moves from December to the week after the US Open.

"The changes that the ITF has made to Fed Cup come in response to the views of the players and our member National Associations," said ITF President Francesco Ricci "Itti" Bitti. "We believe that the new format can only enhance the competition and bring it closer to the very successful Davis Cup model. Fed Cup is, if not the most important, surely one of the most important team competitions for women in sport and the ITF is convinced that these changes will allow Fed Cup to maintain this position for the future."

Tennis-X will preview one of the World Group I ties each day leading to the Saturday start of the first round of the 2005 Fed Cup:

Argentina at Spain
Site: Club Nazaret, Jerez, ESP
Surface: Red clay outdoors
Ball: Dunlop Fort All Court

Don't confuse this with Argentina and Spain on the men's side. You could put either of these Fed Cup teams on their home clay and they'd be the underdog against any top team such as the Russians, France or the U.S.

Gisela Dulko, Mariana Diaz-Oliva, and Maria-Emilia Salerni make the nucleus of the visiting Argentines against the home Spanish squad of Anabel Medina Garrigues, Nuria Llagostera Vives, Marta Marrero, and Maria Sanchez Lorenzo. If you casual tennis fans see any names in there that ring a bell, let us know.

With both underpowered squads roughly equal on the slow red dirt, this could be one of the most closely-contested ties of the four first-rounders, and the most meaningless. But who cares with the winner to get spanked by France, unless Amelie Mauresmo decides to again take a powder.

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