Kuznetsova Struggles in Clay Debut; Disturbing Becker Love-Child Photos Surface

Garcia-Lopez said the key to taking down the towering Johansson was to put him on the merry-go-round.

"I tried to force him to move around the court," Garcia-Lopez said. "He's tall and he finds it hard when he has to run from side to side."

Winners on the seeded side were No. 2 Gaston Gaudio (d. Tabara, dropping only three games) and No. 8 Feliciano Lopez (d. Spanish countryman Montanes in three).

In the only all-unseeded match of the day, Costa Rican lucky loser Juan Antonio Marin caught another lucky break when opponent Agustin Calleri retired in the second set with a back injury.

On tap for Thursday in Estoril is the battle of former No. 1s and French Open champions in  (1) Moya vs. Ferrero (JC leads the head-to-head 7-3, but Moya won the last meeting), Sanguinetti vs. Costa, (4) Robredo vs. Ventura in another all-Spanish, and (Q) Cakl vs. Mathieu.

Qualifiers Thrive Before Rain Again Dampens ATP Munich

Rain halted the seeded play Wednesday at the ATP stop in Munich, but qualifiers had their day with three pushing through to the second round in Aussie Peter Luczak (d. homecountry favorite Mayer from a set down), Slovak Michal Mertinak (d. Benneteau), and Fin Jarkko Nieminen (d. (Q) Ulihrach).

Postponed until Thursday due to the wet weather was (2) Nikolay Davydenko vs. Raemon Sluiter, and (5) Andrei Pavel vs. Sjeng Schalken.

One other un-seed punched his second-round ticket before the rains, with Korea's Hyung-Taik Lee outlasting French lucky loser Jean-Rene Lisnard in three sets.

Thursday's hefty schedule on the red clay is "Everybody Loves" Raemon Sluiter vs. (2) Davydenko, H.-T. Lee vs. (4) Haas, (1) Nalbandian vs. (Q) Luczak, Juan "The Principality" Monaco vs. (7) Paradorn "The Thai Fighter" Srichaphan, (5) Pavel vs. Schalken, (3) Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic vs. (Q) Nieminen, (6) Andreev vs. Wayne "The Serving Machine" Arthurs, and (Q) Mertinak vs. Ricardo Mello "Yello".

Kuznetsova, Clijsters Into Quarters at WTA Warsaw

No. 2 seed and current US Open holder Svetlana Kuznetsova got her claycourt campaign off on the right foot, eventually, Wednesday with a not-so-easy 6-2, 4-6, 6-0 win over Anna Smashnova at the WTA stop in Warsaw.

No. 7 seed Kim Clijsters also battered her way into the quarterfinals, dropping only three games against Russian qualifier Maria Kirilenko, and was joined by seeds No. 5 Elena Bovina (d. Hantuchova in three), and No. 8 Silvia Farina Elia (d. (Q) Ondraskova).

"I was seeing the ball a little better and didn't make all those unforced errors," said Clijsters, trying to wrap her brain around a difficult clay transition in time for Roland Garros. "In my mind as well, I was positive, focused and it was definitely a big step forward compared to yesterday."

Scheduled for Thursday in Warsaw are Zvonareva vs. Ivanovic, Henin-Hardenne vs. Vento-Kabchi,  Domachowska vs. Dechy, and Schnyder vs. Vakulenko.

Safina, Chinese Through Wednesday at WTA Estoril

All four seeds in action advanced Wednesday at the WTA stop in Estoril with winners (2) Dinara Safina (d. Schaul), (3) Gisela Dulko (d. A.Bondarenko), (4) Na Li (d. Pratt), and (6) Dally Randriantefy (d. Sanchez Lorenzo from a set down) advancing.

"It's nice to win on my birthday," said Safina, wearing a midriff-baring top that did not exactly advertise her fitness level. "I was really nervous at the start, I was actually shaking at the beginning. I haven't played well for the last few months, but I was just trying my best. I told myself before the match to just go for it and be aggressive, and that's why I won today."

China's Jie Zheng was the only unseeded player to advance Wednesday, taking out German qualifier Martina Muller in straight sets.

Chinese coach Jiang Hong was happy to see Li and Zheng advance to the quarters, with his stars not yet particularly adept on the dirt.

"We are trying to approach tennis in a professional way, especially in women's tennis which is easier to be successful in, because we are preparing for the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008," Hong said.

On tap for Thursday in Estoril are K.Bondarenko vs. Safina, Krajicek vs. Safarova, Cervanova vs. Craybas, and Savchuk vs. Diaz-Oliva.

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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Kim Clijsters' 19-year-old sister Elke has retired from tennis after a back injury and is now working with kids at tennis camps in Belgium...Jose Acasuso pulled out of the doubles at Munich with a back injury...Someone get Kim Clijsters a claycourt coach: "I need to work most on my movement. I'm not saying I move bad on clay, but I don't feel as comfortable on it. Pushing off is a lot tougher and I prefer to have the firm ground when as soon as I slide I can push back off. That's one of the advantages I have, that I'm strong enough to do that on the hardcourt. On the claycourt, it's tougher. You push off but keep sliding." That's why you learn to slide into your shot Kimmy, not hit then slide (otherwise known as the Americans on Ice approach)...Alicia Molik has withdrawn from next week's German Open in Berlin with an inner ear infection...Mardy Fish, currently the third alternate into next week's Masters Series-Rome main draw, will play the Tunica (Tennessee) Challenger with buddy James Blake if he doesn't make the cut...Ever wonder what Boris Becker would look like as a girl? Check out this disturbing picture: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-1586654,00.html...Lleyton Hewitt is practicing on a claycourt in Sydney, gauging his level for a possible appearance at the Masters Series-Rome next week...The Independent reports no pick-a-nic baskets this year at Wimbledon, Yogi: "The only explosions to be heard coming from picnic hampers at Wimbledon have traditionally emanated from the pop of the champagne bottles they are used to transport. In a sign that the war on terror has now spread to practically every aspect of modern British life, the up-market food carrier is to be banned amid fears that they may harbour bombs. The All England Lawn Tennis Club has announced that no hard-sided hampers, cool-boxes or briefcases would be allowed into the grounds during the championships which start in eight weeks' time."