Dokic Makes Tearful Exit at Auckland, Splits with Temp Coach

Seeded players in the winner's circle Tuesday were (2) Daniela Hantuchova (d. Beygelzimer from a set down), (3) Elena Likhovtseva (d. Morgami in three), (4) Maria Kirilenko (d. Blahotova), (6) Marion Bartoli (d. Loit 6-1 in the third), and (8) Vera Zvonareva (d. Suarez).

Qualifiers went 1-for-4 on the day with the lone winner Israel's (Q) Tzipora Obziler (d. Jackson), with additional unseeded winners in Laura Granville of the U.S. (d. countrywoman (Q) Perry in three), Korean Yoon Jeong Cho (d. Peer), Puerto Rico's Kristina Brandi (d. Castano), Spain's Maria Sanchez Lorenzo (d. (7) Asagoe in three), American Jill Craybas (d. countrywoman (Q) Harkleroad from a set down), and Russian Vera Dushevina (d. (Q) Kremer).

Lining up on Wednesday in Auckland are Craybas vs. Hantuchova, Petrova vs. Dushevina, Azarenka vs. Kirilenko, Likhovtseva vs. Schruff, Zvonareva vs. Cho, Brandi vs. Sanchez Lorenzo, Granville vs. Bartoli, and Srebotnik vs. Obziler.

Hingis v Koukalova Today at WTA Gold Coast

While unseeded headliner Martina Hingis earned a day of rest after her comeback win Monday, all three low-powered seeds in play advanced on Tuesday at the WTA stop at Gold Coast.

Seeded winners were led by Russian (3) Dinara Safina (d. Benesova 0-and-1), (4) Flavia Pennetta (d. N.Li), and (8) Anabel Medina Garrigues (d. Nakamura).

"I started working with a new coach (Glen Schaap) two weeks ago, and we've started working on a number of things, and I'm glad that these past two matches have gone well," Safina said. "At the start of the year it's interesting to see how well you play in the first few matches. So far it's been going well."

Czech Lucie Safarova (d. (Q) Gajdosova from a set down) was the only unseeded player into the second round Tuesday.

On tap for Wednesday are Llagostera Vives vs. Schiavone, Schnyder vs. Haynes, Koukalova vs. Hingis, and Golovin vs. Bammer.

Hewitt, Flipper, Murray Winners at ATP Adelaide

An Aussie former No. 1, an Aussie former star and the future of British tennis highlighted the winners Tuesday at the ATP stop in Adelaide.

Two-time Adelaide winner Lleyton Hewitt opened his 2006 campaign flat but with a hard-fought comeback win over Jan Hernych, defeating the Czech 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Aussie wildcard Mark "Flipper" Philippoussis earned a three-set win over Vince Spadea, outlasting the American 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Brit teen Andy Murray, attempting to follow up on a 2005 season that brought him to No. 84 in the ATP Race, came back from a set down to defeat Italian qualifier Paolo Lorenzi 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.

"At the start of the year it's just about getting through the first few matches and getting match fitness up, trying to get your timing back and get used to winning again," Murray told BBC Sport. "I think I did that. I didn't panic when I went a set down -- I won the second set well and then I got broken and I was two-one down in the third and I came back again. So I was happy with the way I fought but I wasn't too happy with the way I played."

Other seeded winners Tuesday were (2) Dominik Hrbaty (d. (Q) Junaid), (5) James Blake (d. A.Martin), and (7) Jarkko Nieminen (d. Mathieu), while (8) Juan Ignacio Chela was defeated 6-1 in the third by towering Croatian serving machine "Dr." Ivo Karlovic.

Dane Kenneth Carlsen (d. (Q) Carraz from a set down) was another unseeded comeback winner, joined in the second round by Italian Andreas Seppi (d. Pashanski), German Florian Mayer (d. Monaco), and France's Florent Serra (d. (Q) Llodra who retired in the second set with injury).

Lining up Wednesday in Adelaide are Serra vs. (3) Robredo, (4) Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic vs. Xavier "X-Man" Malisse, (7) Nieminen vs. Mayer, and Seppi vs. (5) Blake.

Federer, Davydenko Debut Successfully at ATP Doha

World No. 1 Roger Federer began his 2006 campaign with a pedestrian 6-1, 6-3 win over Czech wildcard Ivo Minar, while No. 2-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko announced his intention to climb even higher in the new year with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Christophe Rochus Tuesday at the ATP stop in Doha.

"January 2006 in Doha is like November 2005 in Shanghai (Masters Cup)," Davydenko said of his continued success. "The first match of the season often gives you some pressure and on top of that I wasn't feeling all that good when I was warming up. I even thought I could lose today but I am happy I was able to play well and finish the match rather easily."

Federer played in an ankle brace, a leftover from his injury preceding last year's Masters Cup.

"It is the new year and you want to do well again," Federer said. "The pressure is back on and the last thing you want to do is to start the year with a loss. I was happy with my movement on the court, which is very important especially after my ankle injury in October. I was also pleased with the way I hit the ball, so no complaint for a first match back really."

Other seeded players in action were not so fortunate in their debuts, with wildcard Younes El Aynaoui defeating (4) Sebastien Grosjean in straight sets, and Italian qualifier Potito Starace outlasting (5) Igor Andreev in three.

Other unseeded winners were Frenchman Fabrice Santoro (d. (Q) Marach in three to set up a meeting with Federer), Italian Filippo Volandri (d. (Q) Mahut), Czech Robin Vik (d. Pavel 7-6 in the third, saving a match point), and Califo-Russian Dmitry Tursunov (d. (Q) Tipsarevic).

On tap for Wednesday in Doha is a former Top 10 match-up in Henman vs. Haas (career series tied 2-2), (1) Federer vs. Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro, Tursunov vs. (WC) El Aynaoui, (7) Gael "Force" Monfils vs. Moodie, Vik vs. (2) Davydenko, Marcos "Bombs Over" Baghdatis vs. (8) Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez, Youzhny vs. Sanguinetti, and an all-Italian match-up in (Q) "You Say" Potito Starace vs. Volandri.

Bopanna Continues Indian Streak at ATP Chennai

An Indian player stepped up for a singles win for the second consecutive day Tuesday at the ATP stop in Chennai, with qualifier Rohan Bopanna defeating unseeded Frenchman Cyril Saulnier 6-3, 6-3 to move into the second round.

"The last time I played a match like that was in the Davis Cup against Holland (in 2003)," Bopanna said. "I knew I had a great chance because the guy was getting frustrated. I kept the concentration going. Playing the qualifying rounds helped me coming into this match. I was just running on confidence after that."

Bopanna's win follows on the heels of Indian wildcard Prakash Amritraj moving into the second round on Monday.

All six seeded players moved safely into the second round Tuesday in (1) Ivan Ljubicic (d. Garcia-Lopez), (2) Radek Stepanek (d. (Q) Navarro Pastor), (3) Carlos Moya (d. D.Norman 6-1 in the third), (4) Paradorn Srichaphan (d. Delgado 7-6 in the third), (5) Gilles Muller (d. Sabau), and (6) Rainer Schuettler (d. Vicente).

"I thought I played well but he was still good enough to take a set off me," Moya said of Norman. "He produced some good winners in the second set and the chances he took paid off."

Two other qualifiers were also victorious in Frenchman Marc Gicquel (d. H.-T. Lee) and German Michael Berrer (d. Dlouhy from a set down, equaling his 2005 ATP win total), joined in the second round by unseeded resurgent Internet blogger Justin Gimelstob (d. Waske).

Featured Wednesday in singles are (WC) P.Amritraj vs. (2) Stepanek, Gimelstob vs. (3) Moya, (7) Phau vs. (Q) Berrer, and (8) Behrend vs. Ascione.

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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
Leander Paes speaking with Rediff on his new partnership with Martin Damm: "When I choose a partner I don't anticipate results as much. The one thing that I look for in my partner is that he should be a good human being, a clean human being. Of course, you have to look at the technical aspects, the work ethic and the talent, but all that follows later. You spend 36 weeks of the year with the person, and when you've to spent that much time it is important that he's a good person. I strongly believe that people come into your life for a specific period of time. All partnerships are bound by a time frame. My attitude allows me to teach my partners as much as I can and learn from them as much as possible. But, after that, when you've outgrown what you can give or take from the other person you have to move on. That's exactly what happened with Nenad [Zimonjic] and me." And on the new ATP scoring changes: "The new doubles rule that the ATP has come out with is absolute rubbish. It's one of the worst rules they have introduced. I call it Mickey Mouse tennis or Disney tennis. It will benefit the lesser teams to have it that way. Momentum plays a big part in doubles matches. So any team that wins the second set can just take on from there to win the tiebreak. Losing the first set will mean nothing; it's like 10-set dice."...Leslie Bowrey, Jelena Dokic's teenage coach who helped her through the Aussie camp this January, speaking with the Sydney Morning Herald on being dumped at the last minute as Dokic's permanent coach after failed contract negotiations: "Tennis Australia and Jelena and myself tried to work out some terms, because I think TA's policy is that the players have to have a commitment themselves, they have to contribute, and it was all finalized and then Jelena decided that she really couldn't afford it. She just said that she's not in a position to contribute at this point, so she's gone over to New Zealand with her boyfriend. And that's fine. It just didn't work out. My situation is that she asked me to help and I went down to Melbourne and I did that, but she has just decided that she will go on her own."...Lleyton Hewitt says Roger Federer has taken the game to a place he occupied a few years back: "Federer obviously has taken the game to a new level. I felt I was able to take it to a new level a couple years ago. I think a lot of the guys are capable of pushing him out there. It's just a matter of doing it on the big stage in the big matches. That's where Roger has been so good in the last few years. Apart from the loss to [David] Nalbandian in the Masters Cup final, his run in finals was incredible. That's when he's played his best tennis, in the big matches."...After initiating a media blitz to replace Croatian Davis Cup captain Niki Pilic, Goran Ivanisevic tells the Jutarnji List daily he is now backing down: "I thought it over and over and consulted with people whose opinion I respect. This is a delicate moment. We won the Davis Cup and now face Austria. There was just too much talk about this and I don't want this to look like I was pushing. Niko must lead the team in 2006. When he decides to leave, my time will come. I will certainly be the captain, but not this year."...News.gov.hk on the Hong Kong exhibition that include's China's Jie Zheng: "Ms. Zheng said she had been in Hong Kong on numerous occasions, but only for brief stays. She sees Hong Kong as a prosperous and dynamic city, and looks forward to a visit to the Peak to view the spectacular night-time views of the skyline. Her impression is that Hong Kong's young people live fast-paced, tense lives. In a brief interview with news.gov.hk, she encouraged them to do more exercise to build a good physique. Tennis, she noted, is a good way to get fit."...Martina Hingis and Tatiana "Hot Pants" Golovin beat Athens Olympic gold medalists Li Ting and Sun Tiantian at the Australian hardcourt championships on the Gold Coast Tuesday...Jelena Dokic on her shaky serving: "I am getting close to [Anna] Kournikova. I was very nervous and I was very tight and I think that contributed to the loss today. When I was getting close to winning I just got really nervous. I think that's a lack of matches."...Issues related to Rafael Nadal's reportedly-recovered foot fracture has him flying to Sydney but still real iffy for him playing the event...X-Blogger Sean Randall says tennis is eating its own: http://www.tennis-x.com/xblog/ ...Thomas Johansson is being coached by Todd Woodbridge, but has been sidelined by a bug bite on his foot...India's Sania Mirza has signed on to front for Coke (the carbonated drink).