Agassi, Gaudio Withdraw From Events this Week After Winning Titles
Posted on August 2, 2005
Agassi Pulls, Roddick Approves, Blake Wins at ATP WashingtonOn an all-unseeded day in Washington Monday the homecountry Americans posted a 2-1 record, with winners Paul Goldstein (d. Falla) and James Blake (d. Lisnard), but with qualifier Phillip Simmonds coming up short after winning the first set, 0-6, 6-3, 6-1 against Aussie Wayne Arthurs.
"I didn't eat properly. I was shaking out there," Arthurs said. "I ate a couple sandwiches, probably not enough. I got over it. I knew I would."
Blake will next face No. 4 seed Radek Stepanek.
"It's a great feeling just to come out and be healthy," said Blake, who won his only career title at Washington in 2002. "Whether I win or lose, it's nice to be able to give it my best."
Blake was sidelined much of last year with a neck injury, and struggled Monday on his serve which he said is a work in progress.
"It's something I've been working on for a long time, it just wasn't working tonight," Blake said of his service delivery. "But it's not something I'm going to get too worried about. I'll just go out and work on it at practice tomorrow."
Other winners on the day were Ecuador's Giovanni Lapentti (d. Mahut), German Alexander Popp (d. countryman Phau in three), Croatia's Ivo Karlovic (d. Carlsen in three), South African Wimbledon doubles winner Weslie Moodie (d. (Q) Smeets), Czech Jan Hernych (d. (LL) Delgado), and Swedish veteran Jonas Bjorkman (d. Morrison).
Karlovic dropped 32 aces on the Dane Carlsen, including 17 in the second set alone.
Andre Agassi withdrew from the event Monday to save himself for the Masters Series events in Canada and Cincinnati.
"At this point in my career I have to be extremely selective about the amount of matches that I play in preparation of the US Open," Agassi said via fax. "I am sorry that I will not be there this year but hope to return in 2006."
Top seed Andy Roddick, who knows a thing or two about dropping out of tournaments after skipping L.A. last week with what he said was a sore knee, says Agassi made the right move.
"To his credit, he knows how to take care of his body. He knows better than anybody else what keeps you out there at 35 years old and still playing well," Roddick said. "He made a decision that he felt was best for his health and for his prospects the rest of the summer."
Scheduled for Tuesday in Washington are Kim vs. Ginepri in an all-American, (WC) Philippoussis vs. Luis "Me So" Horna, (1) Roddick vs. Giovanni "Little G" Lapentti, (3) Henman vs. Moodie, N.Lapentti vs. Clement, Muller vs. Sanguinetti, "Dr." Ivo Karlovic vs. (7) Max "The Beast" Mirnyi, (WC) Bobby Reynolds "Wrap" vs. (WC) Clayton in an all-American, Hernych vs. (LL) De Chaunac, Carraz vs. (Q) Healey, (WC) Baker vs. (Q) Ivo "I Dated Hingis" Heuberger, and (16) Zib vs. Bjorkman.
Gaudio Pulls, Seeds Go 3-for-3 Monday at ATP Sopot
All three seeds in action advanced into the second round Monday at the ATP claycourt stop in Sopot in (6) Jose Acasuso (d. Vanek), (7) Igor Andreev (d. Garcia-Lopez), and (8) Victor Hanescu (d. Montanes), all winners in three sets.
"I'm happy to advance to the second round after I lost in the first round last year," said the Russian Andreev. "I like the tournament and I'm looking forward to my next match."
Un-seeds into the second round were former French Open champ Al Costa (d. Kohlschreiber), Romanian Razvan Sabau (d. O.Hernandez from a set down), Polish left-handed wildcard Adam Chadaj (d. Di Mauro 6-1 in the third), and Italian Potito Starace (d. Koubek).
The final round of qualifying was also completed, with four more into the main draw in Al Portas (ESP), Marcin Matkowski (POL), Juan Antonio Marin (CRC), and Mariusz Fyrstenberg (POL).
Gaston Gaudio, a winner last week in Kitzbuhel, pulled from the event with pain in his shoulder.
"I've had the same problem since the beginning of the year, but it got worse as I played so many matches in a row," Gaudio said. "I apologize, I'm really sorry about not being able to play. But I prefer not to play if I cannot play my best."
Tuesday some of the big claycourt dogs come out to play at Sopot in (1) Puerta vs. Nieminen, (Q) Matkowski vs. Mantilla, (WC) Kubot vs. (5) Volandri, the day's spotlight match in (3) Coria vs. (WC) Kuerten, (Q) Fyrstenberg vs. (4) Moya, Monfils vs. (Q) Marin, (Q) Portas vs. Almagro in an all-Spanish, Zabaleta vs. Mayer, and (LL) MacKin vs. Monaco.
Euro Teens Post Upsets, Safina Avoids Choke at WTA San Diego
It was a Euro-teen invasion Monday at the WTA stop in San Diego, with Russian teen Anna Chakvetadze ousting No. 12 seed Tatiana Golovin 6-4, 6-4, and Bulgarian teen Sesil Karatantcheva downing No. 13 Shinobu Asagoe in a rollercoaster match 6-1, 0-6, 7-5.
The three seeded winners on the day were No. 15 Flavia Pennetta (d. Irvin), No. 14 Daniela Hantuchova (d. Kirilenko), and No. 16 Dinara Safina (d. Martinez), all in straight sets.
"In practice I've been working on fighting when I get tight," Safina said after dismissing the Wimbledon winner Martinez. "Tonight, I got a little nervous but I told myself not to give up because I've been working so hard in practice and if you don't fight, then what's the point?"
Other unseeded winners into the second round were American Lisa Raymond (d. Bartoli in three), Argentine Gisela Dulko (d. (Q) Obata in three), Czechs Iveta Benesova (d. Zuluaga in three), Klara Koukalova (d. Linetskaya 6-1 in the third) and qualifier Hana Sromova (d. Vento-Kabchi), Israel's Shahar Peer (d. Randriantefy from a set down), Poland's Marta Domachowska (d. Granville 7-6 in the third), Japan's Akiko Morigami (d. Matevzic 1-and-0), Russian qualifier Alina Jidkova (d. (Q) Nakamura), and China's Shuai Peng (d. (Q) Salerni).
On tap Tuesday in San Diego are Spears vs. Schiavone, Jankovic vs. Amy "Joltin' Joe" Frazier, Dementieva vs. Peng, Dechy vs. Brandi, Klara "Kouky" Koukalova vs. Kuznetsova in a kaptivating kontest, Sugiyama vs. Shaughnessy, Craybas vs. Peschke, Groenefeld vs. Daniilidou, Benesova vs. Chakvetadze, Washington vs. Karolina "The Spreminator" Sprem, Pennetta vs. Morigami, Rodionova vs. Stosur, and Sania "The Indian Sharapova" Mirza vs. Garbin.
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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
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