Pierce Works Tiebreak Magic; Video Replay at Aussie Open?
Posted on October 15, 2005
Kiefer, 3 Muscovites in ATP Moscow SemisGerman Nicolas Kiefer advanced amidst a field of Russians Friday at the ATP stop in Moscow, with the No. 6 seed ousting No. 4 Max "The Beast" Mirnyi 6-3, 6-4 to move into the semifinals at the Kremlin Cup.
"Today I was very focused," Kiefer said. "I served very good, that was the most important thing today. The two times I broke him, two very good games. Then I focused on my service games."
Three Muscovites joined Kiefer in the semifinal round in wildcard Dmitry Tursunov (d. countryman (3) Youzhny in three), No. 7 seed Igor Andreev (d. Bracciali), and qualifier Igor Kunitsyn (d. Pavel).
"This is definitely a very good day for me," said the qualifier Kunitsyn, through to his first ATP semifinal in his first tour-level event this year. "I did not expect to beat Pavel especially in two sets. I played great tennis today. I've had a great support. I have 20-25 people coming to support me each match. The support is unbelievable and I feel it every time I step on the court."
Matching up in the Saturday semifinals are (7) Andreev vs. (WC) Tursunov (first meeting), and (6) Kiefer vs. (Q) Kunitsyn (first meeting), and in the doubles semis Mirnyi/Youzhny vs. Bhupathi/Damm, and Andreev/Davydenko vs. Hrbaty/Levinsky.
Thai Takes Out Top Seed at ATP Stockholm
Unseeded Thai Paradorn Srichaphan stunned top seed Thomas Johansson Friday at the ATP stop in Stockholm, coming back from a set down to defeat the homecountry favorite 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.
"I think it was about more than tennis today," Srichaphan said "It's really to do with your heart when you are playing against the defending champion and against him in his hometown. It's really difficult to serve it out and finish the match. I think that's the most difficult thing. For the whole week I've been playing really and hopefully I can keep going."
No. 5 Olivier Rochus (d. (WC) Bjorkman from a set down) and No. 6 James Blake (d. A.Martin) were the lone seeds into the semis, joined by unseeded Italian Davide Sanguinetti (d. (Q) Schuettler).
"Alberto's a great player but had a bad day," said Blake after dropping only three games. "I'd like to think that was partly because of me, I was putting pressure on him the whole time. I served very well, and once you get rolling with one part of your game the rest of it follows so it's a good feeling."
Lining up for the Saturday semis are (5) O.Rochus vs. (6) Blake (Rochus won their lone meeting a few weeks back in Davis Cup in straight sets on clay) and Srichaphan vs. Sanguinetti (Italian leads career meetings 4-0).
Ferrero Ousts Top-Seeded Nalbandian at ATP Vienna
No. 7 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero showed a brief return to form Saturday at the ATP stop in Vienna, with the former No. 1 defeating top seed David Nalbandian 7-6(5), 6-3 to move into the semifinals.
In the semis the Spaniard will face No. 3-seeded Czech Radek Stepanek, who edged No. 8 Feliciano Lopez 7-6(8), 7-6(5).
"I'm playing good tennis and I think I have good chances," Ferrero said. "Stepanek is playing well and there are some good players left in the tournament. Anyway, I'm a 100 percent and I think I have good chances."
Also into the semis were (4) Ivan Ljubicic (d. (6) Gonzalez) and (5) Tommy Robredo (d. (Q) Lisnard 1-and-1).
The Saturday semifinal line-up in Austria will be (7) Ferrero vs. (3) Stepanek (career series tied 1-1) and (4) Ljubicic vs. (5) Robredo (Croatian leads 2-0).
Sharapova, Myskina Bounced at WTA Moscow
All three Russian former Grand Slam winners were bounced from the quarterfinals Friday at the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, with the shocking blow delivered by unseeded Russian Dinara Safina who rebounded from an opening-set trouncing to oust world No. 1 Maria Sharapova 1-6, 6-4, 7-5.
"I played softly on a match point and then waited for her mistakes," said Safina who almost blew a 5-1 lead in the third. "I was almost crying. And at 5-5, I began to attack myself."
Sharapova started loosely going for her shots in the third set but could not finish against Marat Safin's younger sister.
"At 5-1 down I just relaxed and played my tennis," Sharapova said. "At the decisive moment, I just missed my chance."
Italy's Francesca Schiavone steamrolled former US Open winner and No. 8 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-3, 6-1, and No. 4 seed Elena Dementieva eased past former French Open winner and No. 6 seed Anastasia Myskina 6-2, 6-3
No. 3 seed Mary Pierce also edged into the semifinals with a 7-6 in the third win over unseeded Russian Elena Likhovtseva.
"She started to play short and I received easy balls," said Pierce who reeled off eight straight points after going down 0-6 in the third-set breaker. "If she played in the match the way she played a tiebreaker, I could have won the match 6-0, 6-0. Maybe she was waiting for my mistake. But I just capitalized on those opportunities she gave me."
Matching up in the Saturday semifinals are (4) Dementieva vs. Schiavone (Russian leads career meetings 3-1), and Safina vs. (3) Pierce (first meeting).
Petrova, Vaidisova Near Final Meeting at WTA Bangkok
No. 2 seed Nicole Vaidisova brought herself within two matches of a third consecutive title Friday at the WTA stop in Bangkok, baking a bagel against No. 6 seed Conchita Martinez to move into the semifinals with a 6-3, 6-0 win.
Top-seeded Nadia Petrova also advanced in her bid for a first career title, bageling French qualifier Stephanie Foretz in a 6-4, 6-0 win.
Also into the semis were unseeded Italian Antonella Serra Zanetti (d. (8) Peer in three) and No. 3 seed Gisela Dulko (d. Yuan from a set down).
Saturday's semifinal match-ups will be (1) Petrova vs. Ant. Serra Zanetti (career series tied 1-1) and (3) Dulko vs. (2) Vaidisova (Vaidisova leads 1-0).
"I'm looking forward to playing Nicole," Dulko said. "She is on a big streak right now and I know she's going to come out and play hard. I just have to play my game because I have nothing to lose. I'm going to go out there and have fun and we'll see."
DAILY TENNIS-X E-NEWSLETTER
Read what tennis industry insiders read each morning to get the latest news, insight and opinion on pro tennis. Get the Tennis-X Daily Dish in your e-mail in-box, even before it's posted on the web, by signing up for the net's most complete daily e-newsletter at http://www.tennis-x.com/subscribe.php
TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
The sad thing Friday wasn't that the news that Roger Federer was likely out for the rest of the regular season wasn't at the top of Google Sports -- it's that it wasn't on Google Sports at all -- because there isn't any room with all the NASCAR news...The ITF has approved the "Hawk-Eye" line-calling system, which would indicate you'll see it in Australia in January -- but will they let players request replays during a match?...Justine Henin-Hardenne on sitting out with injury and possibly returning for the WTA Championships from her website: "My injury prevents me from doing all the necessary work, and I do not like to play under those conditions. I will take the time to care for my body. I will try to put myself back to the best levels, and to do it in good conditions, serenely. For the Masters. I cannot decide, nor make any pronouncements. We shall see how things evolve."...Goran Ivanisevic has pulled from the ATP Senior Masters to root on Croatia in the Davis Cup final at the Slovak Republic...From News.com.au: "The deteriorating friendship between high-profile sports stars Andrew McLeod and Lleyton Hewitt crumbled even further yesterday when the Adelaide Crows star took legal action aimed at blocking the release of the tennis champion's new DVD. McLeod is seeking a Federal Court injunction to prevent Hewitt from distributing the DVD Lleyton Hewitt: The Other Side. McLeod is also seeking damages. The row centres over Hewitt using footage from the pair's tour of indigenous land in the Northern Territory in 2003, allegedly without permission. The latest development comes after the cooling of their once close friendship. Tensions have been high since the Crows midfielder, 29, reunited with his estranged wife Rachael. The problems stem from Mrs. McLeod's close friendship with Hewitt's former fiancee, Belgian tennis ace Kim Clijsters...ATP Chairman Etienne de Villiers on the doubles fiasco on the men's tour: "What I want to do is talk to these guys about implementing change in a measured way, because that is how problems are solved in business. Doubles is like water, it has to find its own level. We have to discover what will make it a more attractive proposition for everyone, because if you have a product that's not desirable, obviously you have to improve it. The process the ATP went through before the current changes was not perfect. Equally, it is totally inappropriate to talk about removing doubles from the ATP Tour. But we have to make it better." It seemed to have found its level before the ATP tournament directors, the only people saying it isn't desirable so they can save some bank, saw their opening...Winners Friday at the ATP senior event in Eindhoven were Richard Krajicek (d. Siemerink), Jim Courier (d. Haarhuis in three), John McEnroe (d. Muster), and Goran Ivanisevic (d. Forget). On Saturday are Muster vs. Siemerink, Ivanisevic vs. Courier, Forget vs. Haarhuis, and McEnroe vs. Krajicek.