Henin Loses Opener at Filderstadt; Madrid Tells ATP No Doubles
Posted on October 6, 2005
Monfils, Clement Win at ATP MetzNo. 2-seeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet strolled into the second round Wednesday at the ATP stop in Metz, defeating Slovak Karol Beck 6-4, 6-2 in search of his second title of the year.
Unseeded Frenchmen advancing were Arnaud Clement (d. (Q) Summerer) and Paul-Henri Mathieu (d. Andreev), both in straight sets.
"Today was my first indoor match of the season," Mathieu said. "I came back in the first set, I saved two set points and I think after that, he got a little bit tight, and things kept on going well for me."
Clement hopes the familiar surroundings at Metz will help him find his old form.
"I like playing in Metz. It's an arena and a court I know, where I feel great. I won here one of my two career titles so it's a very special place for me," said the veteran who next faces new-generation Frenchman Gael Monfils. "I never played against him, it will be the first time. I know him a little and I look forward to this next match."
Also advancing were No. 4 seed Dominik Hrbaty (d. Mayer), Aussie qualifier Peter Luczak (d. (Q) Schukin), and wildcard Mark Philippoussis winning a second consecutive match (d. Calleri) for the first time since the grasscourt season.
On tap for Thursday are (Q) Luczak vs. (5) Soderling, Seppi vs. Pavel, (3) Ljubicic vs. Santoro, (1) Davydenko vs. Llodra, (6) Monfils vs. (WC) Clement in an all-French, and the all-French feature in Mathieu vs. (2) Gasquet.
Accused Puerta Advances at Rainy ATP Tokyo
Top seed Mariano Puerta, despite allegations by a French newspaper accusing the Argentine of testing positive for doping at this year's French Open, defeated American qualifier Eric Taino 6-3, 6-4 to advance into the second round.
"Today's win will help me to make it to the Masters Cup in Shanghai," Puerta said. "I think I played good today. I'm working a little on my serve and moving toward my backhand because these courts are fast."
Only five matches were completed Wednesday in Tokyo due to rain, with additional winners (3) Robby Ginepri (d. Popp, bagel in the second), (9) Paradorn Srichaphan (d. (WC) Terachi), (10) Kenneth Carlsen (d. N.Lapentti in two tiebreaks), and (13) Gilles Muller (d. Waske 6-1 in the third).
On tap for Thursday on the rain-backed-up schedule are Tursunov vs. (4) Dent, (1) Puerta vs. Baghdatis, (Q) Gambill vs. (5) Ancic, Vanek vs. (2) Stepanek in an all-Czech, (3) Ginepri vs. (13) Muller, (12) Saulnier vs. (Q) Sluiter, (7) Nieminen vs. Schuettler, (6) Youzhny vs. Moodie, (16) Monaco vs. Arthurs, Karanusic vs. (11) Horna, (10) Carlsen vs. Phau, then the winner of (12) Saulnier-(Q) Sluiter vs. the winner of (Q) Gambill-(5) Ancic.
Davenport Wins, Henin Shocked at WTA Filderstadt
Top-seeded Lindsay Davenport showed no signs of the back injury that has kept her off the tour periodically in 2005, Wednesday at the WTA stop in Filderstadt mowing down Italy's Francesca Schiavone 6-2, 6-2 to advance into the quarterfinals.
"Schiavone can be tough, but I didn't let her play her game today," Davenport said. "Hopefully, I can improve every match and win this event...It is always difficult to move to a faster court and to play your first match indoors, but I played great."
Unseeded Italian Flavia Pennetta shocked (4) Justine Henin-Hardenne in straight sets in first-round action, with former Top 10-ranked Slovak Daniela Hantuchova doing likewise against (7) Patty Schnyder.
"I wasn't moving well and I wasn't feeling well physically on the court," Henin-Hardenne said. "I was running a lot and was behind my baseline the whole point and it's difficult to win like this. I haven't had the best preparation the last few weeks with my injuries and it's not easy to be in a good rhythm. It's a difficult time for me right now but I'll have to be patient."
Other players into the quarterfinals were Russian seeds (6) Nadia Petrova (d. Groenefeld) and (8) Anastasia Myskina (d. countrywoman Safina), joined by un-seeds Jelena Jankovic (d. Medina Garrigues) and struggling Croatian qualifier Karolina Sprem (d. (Q) Daniilidou in three).
Thursday at Filderstadt features Petrova vs. Likhovtseva, Jankovic vs. Mauresmo, Dementieva vs. Dechy, and Sprem vs. Clijsters.
Vaidisova Advances in Three at Wet WTA Tokyo
Only three matches were completed Wednesday amidst rains at the WTA stop in Tokyo, with No. 3 seed Tatiana Golovin (d. Spears) and No. 2 Nicole Vaidisova (d. Morigami from a set down) completing first-round matches.
"My expectations are higher," Vaidisova said. "I think if I play my best, I can go at least to the final."
Swedish qualifier Sofia Arvidsson advanced into the quarterfinals with an upset win over No. 7 seed Shinobu Asagoe, coming back from a one-set deficit.
Thursday's rain-heavy scheduled will include Zvonareva vs. Peer, Fujiwara vs. Vaidisova, Pin vs. Sugiyama, Nakamura vs. Mirza, Nagyova vs. Kirilenko, Golovin vs. Obata, and Dulko vs. Craybas.
The Bychkova is Back in Opening Win at WTA Tashkent
Russian Ekaterina Bychkova lived up to her top seeding Wednesday at the WTA stop in Tashkent, defeating India's Shikha Uberoi in straight sets to advance into the second round.
Bychkova had to wait until Wednesday for her first match as Uberoi had to fly in from playing in the doubles final at Guangzhou.
"All the waiting doesn't help," Bychkova said. "Neither of us played our best."
Also into round two was No. 4 seed Emma Laine (d. Yakimova) and No. 7 seed Maria Elena Camerin (d. Gallovits 6-1 in the third), while No. 8 Mara Santangelo was ousted in three by Israel's Tzipora Obziler.
Swiss Emmanuelle Gagliardi (d. Fedak in three) and Russian Elena Vesnina (d. (LL) Rodionova) were additional first-round victors.
Four players advanced into the quarterfinals in (3) Antonella Serra Zanetti (d. (Q) Tulyaganova 6-1 in the third), (5) Michaella Krajicek (d. Strycova in three), and wildcards Akgul Amanmuradova of Uzbekistan (d. Voskoboeva) and Russian Evgeniya Rodina (d. Czink, bagel in the second).
"She played well, and I have no excuses," said Czink after losing to the Russian Rodina. "But if I had played even 60 percent of my game, I would have won."
On tap for Thursday in Tashkent are Camerin vs. Gagliardi, Bychkova vs. Parra Santonja, Laine vs. K.Bondarenko, and Obziler vs. Vesnina.
X-CORRECT
Anastasia Myskina made the statement, "If she (Sharapova) joins our (Fed Cup) team next season you won't see me there for sure. I don't want to be on the same team with people who don't show respect to me as a person. End of story" in November 2004.
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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
In an example of a spoiled child behaving badly (and a PR disaster), Masters Series-Madrid officials are saying the ATP can't tell them what to do -- they're not going to hold a doubles event: "We received the communication (from the ATP) and we still maintain our position of not having it (doubles)," Madrid Director of Communications Cecilia Casla told Tennis Week Wednesday afternoon. "We hope there is maybe some reaction or response from the players (to settle the suit). As I said: we are still in the same position as we were yesterday (when the tournament announced it was suspending doubles). Nothing has changed...It has nothing to do with money. It is not a money issue at all. We are taking the position we have to take in support of the sport."...With the Masters Series-Madrid playing by its own rules in trying to kill its doubles event without the ATP's permission, looks like an opening for an Asian Masters Series event in 2006 might appear sooner than thought...The ATP release from earlier on Wednesday rebuking the Masters Series-Madrid for announcing they weren't going to hold a doubles draw at their event later this month: "The ATP was unaware of the Masters Series Madrid's decision to announce that they planned to suspend their doubles competition in support of the ATP, which has been sued by a number of doubles players. Irrespective of the tournament's motivation, they have been advised that they are not in a position to unilaterally make such changes. Therefore, we have informed Madrid tournament management that they must hold a doubles event."...Ignoring the fact that Elena Dementieva hates Svetlana Kuznetsova and everyone hates Maria Sharapova, Russia's tennis chief Shamil Tarpishchev says everything is dandy with the Russian Fed Cup team: "I don't think there is a problem between any of our players," Tarpishchev told Reuters. "Anything that was said about it, has been greatly exaggerated by the press."...Russia's tennis chief/godhead Shamil Tarpishchev has declared that former No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov is too fat to get a proper retirement send-off: "He must lose weight first. He must get on the court and play to have a proper farewell and to do that he needs to trim down."...Andy Murray has been passed over for a Masters Series-Madrid wildcard, with spots going to Al Costa and Fernando Verdasco, while the third will be selected by the readers of the sports daily Marca, who must decide between Al Martin, Nicolas Massu and James Blake...Likely after a talking-to from Russian Fed Cup godhead Shamil Tarpishchev, Anastasia Myskina has restated her stance on bailing on Fed Cup: "There was a misunderstanding with the translation because I didn't say that I'm not going to play at all. I won twice and I think the young players are playing pretty good right now, like Dinara [Safina], she's ready to play singles. I just want to take a step back a little bit and give a place, but if I'm going to be invited that would be great." Translation: 'I don't want to play unless you force me Shamil, and I sure as hell don't want to play on the same team as Maria.'...Ivan Ljubicic, who lost to Mariano Puerta in the first round this year at the French Open, says he feels cheated and may sue the ITF for lost prize money if Puerta is found guilty of doping...Lindsay Davenport, who earlier this year said drug testing in women's tennis was lacking, says there is no drug problem in tennis (for the women): "I don't recall anyone right now who has tested positive on the women's tour. I can name probably five or six men that have recently, so I'd have to say from those stats that I don't think it's a problem in the women's game. It's unbelievable. It seems that a lot of the players from Argentina are testing positive. I don't know exactly what that means, but I think it's terrible."