Players Practicing for Aussie Open; Murray Says He Plays Like a Woman

"The game has improved so much now," Henin-Hardenne said. "There is a lot of power in women's tennis. That's the big difference from the time she played three years ago...I think the level she has right now is pretty good because she doesn't have a lot of matches."

While some fans and tennis writers alike blanched at the fact Hingis didn't raise a title in her first tournament back, or immediately beat a Top 10 player, the Swiss herself realizes patience is the key to building her game, physically and mentally.

"I have to be patient. It just takes a lot of tournaments, a lot of matches to prepare for this," Hingis said.

Other seeded winners joining the No. 5 Henin-Hardenne in the second round were (7) Francesca Schiavone (d. Sugiyama) and (8) Nicole Vaidisova (d. (WC) Stosur 6-1 in the third).

Qualifiers were in vogue Monday with all four advancing in China's Na Li (d. Pennetta) and Zi Yan (d. Chakvetadze), Russian Vera Dushevina (d. countrywoman (WC) Zvonareva 6-1 in the third), and the Ukraine's Yuliana Fedak (d. Likhovtseva in three).

Former Top 10er Daniela Hantuchova (d. Mirza in three) and Russian Dinara Safina (d. Groenefeld) were also winners.

Scheduled for Tuesday in Sydney are (1) Clijsters vs. (Q) N.Li, Ivanovic vs. (2) Mauresmo, Kirilenko vs. (4) Petrova in an all-Russian, (5) Henin-Hardenne vs. (Q) Dushevina, (3) Schnyder vs. Hantuchova, (Q) Z.Yan vs. (7) Schiavone, (6) Kuznetsova vs. Safina in an all-Russian, and (Q) Fedak vs. (8) Vaidisova.

Funky Cold Medina On Song at WTA Canberra

No. 1 Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues (d. (LL) Gagliardi 6-1 in the third) hung on to lead three seeded players into the second round Monday at the WTA stop in Canberra, joined by (6) Catalina Castano (d. Bammer, bagel in the first) and (9) Virginie Razzano (d. Kutuzova 6-1 in the third).

Qualifiers went 3-1 on the day in a bagel-baking frenzy with winners Tatiana Poutchek of Belarus (d. (WC) Ferguson, bagel in the first), Russian Anastassia Rodionova (d. (7) Domachowska, bagel in the second) and Finland's Emma Laine (d. Pironkova, bagel in the first) blanking opponents, while Czech qualifier "Deliver Us From" Eva Hrdinova came up short against Japan's Aiko Nakamura.

Other unseeded players into the second round Monday were Greece's Eleni Daniilidou (d. Shaughnessy) and Austrian lucky loser Yvonne Meusburger (d. (WC) McDowell).

Lucie Safarova, a winner last week at Gold Coast, withdrew from the event Monday citing a groin injury.

On court Tuesday are Peer vs. Daniilidou, Schruff vs. Meusburger, Medina Garrigues vs. Poutchek, Cho vs. Laine, Nakamura vs. Vinci, Castano vs. Garbin, and Czink vs. Razzano.

Kremer, Granville with Upsets at WTA Hobart

Luxembourg qualifier Anne Kremer (d. (2) Koukalova in three) and American Laura Granville (d. (3) Smashnova) led the seeded upsets Monday, advancing into the second round of play at the WTA stop in Hobart.

"I think I played consistent today," Granville said. "It was a tough match. I really had to play well to win. I was pretty happy with my groundstrokes and I thought I moved it around. I think I just got a lot of balls back and that helped me."

Aussie wildcard Casey Dellacqua was a highlight for the homecountry fans, defeating Canadian lucky loser Aleksandra Wozniak in three sets.

Other unseeded players into the second round of play were Croat Jelena Kostanic (d. Sucha, bagel in the second), France's Severine Bremond (d. (WC) Wheeler), Puerto Rico's Kristina Brandi (d. (Q) Parra Santonja), American Mashona Washington (d. Loit), the Ukraine's Alona Bondarenko (d. Linetskaya in three), Italian Mara Santangelo (d. (Q) Poutchkova), and Dutchwoman Michaella Krajicek (d. Ani).

On tap for Tuesday are Llagostera Vives vs. Kostanic, Foretz vs. Krajicek, Washington vs. Benesova, Brandi vs. Frazier, Dellacqua vs. A.Bondarenko, Craybas vs. Bremond, Granville vs. Jackson, and Kremer vs. Santangelo.

Hewitt Beats Illness, Spadea at ATP Sydney

Four-time Sydney champ Lleyton Hewitt overcame a stomach virus and American qualifier Vince Spadea 2-6, 7-5, 6-3 Monday to collect his 400th career win and advance into the second round at the Medibank International, commenting that the illness might take him out of contention the week before the Australian Open.

Hewitt said he was "only a couple of points away from walking off" and retiring from the match in the first set, and said he could pull from the event before his second-round encounter with Austrian Jurgen Melzer.

"Today was the worst it's been," Hewitt said. "I had no energy...It was one of the worst times I felt on the tennis court. The last time was probably when I had chicken pox at the Hopman Cup before I knew what it was...Right now, I feel my health is more important than getting matches under your belt."

The Australian attempted to hang in against an opponent with a reputation for failing to close out big matches.

"I ended up saving some pretty big break points out there," Hewitt said, salvaging 11 of Spadea's 14 break points. "Vince is the type of player who will give you a few loose points, and that's what he did at 4-3 in the third set."

Another big Australian winner was wildcard Chris "Penthouse" Guccione, who came from a set down to dismiss No. 5 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero in three sets, throwing down 26 aces in the process.

"He struggled with my serve two years ago, same case today," Guccione said after posting a second career win over the former No. 1-ranked Spaniard. "It was just a bit disappointing last week not to play as well as I did today."

Other winners on the day were (8) James Blake (d. Sanguinetti), the Austrian Melzer (d. Chela), Argentine Agustin Calleri (d. Mathieu), and qualifiers Arnaud Clement (d. Dent 6-2 in the third) and "Dr." Ivo Karlovic (d. Hanescu in three).

On tap for Tuesday are (7) Stepanek vs. Paradorn "The Thai Fighter" Srichaphan, Grosjean vs. Moya, Berdych vs. (2) Davydenko, (4) Gasquet vs. Andreev, in doubles (1) Bryan/Bryan vs. Aussies (WC) Guccione/Healey, Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco vs. (LL) Monaco, (Q) Seppi vs. (SE) Vliegen, Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro vs. Serra in an all-French meeting, Tursunov vs. (6) Robredo, and Xavier "X-Man" Malisse vs. (WC) Luczak.

Ancic Sets Up Murray Meeting at ATP Auckland

Croatian Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic was the lone seeded winner Monday at the ATP stop in Auckland, rolling over wildcarded New Zealand No. 1 Mark Nielsen 6-1, 6-2.

"The score looked pretty easy...it wasn't," Ancic said. "It was very tough. We both had chances. Every game was lasting a long time."

Ancic will now face Scotland's Andy Murray, who straight-setted Dane Kenneth Carlsen to advance.

"I watched him play. He's obviously a great talent and it's going to be a challenge and hopefully a good match again," Ancic said of Murray. "I will have to be focused."

Other un-seeds into the second round were Czech Robin Vik (d. (8) F.Lopez), Swiss Stan Wawrinka (d. Zib), and German Florian Mayer (d. (WC) King-Turner).

Also completed was the final round of qualifying with four more onto the main dance floor in Minar (CZE), Sluiter (NED), Hernych (CZE), and Luzzi (ITA).
 
On Tuesday's schedule in Auckland are (7) Nieminen vs. Marcos "Bombs Over" Baghdatis, (3) Ginepri vs. A.Martin, (1) Fernando "Gonzo" Gonzalez vs. (LL) Horna, Massu vs. (4) Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty, (6) Olivier "The Roach" Rochus vs. Montanes, (Q) "Everybody Loves" Raemon Sluiter vs. Daniele "Choppin'" Bracciali, (Q) Luzzi vs. (2) Ferrer, Christophe "The Other Roach" Rochus vs. Acasuso, (Q) Hernych vs. Pavel, Volandri vs. Goldstein, and (Q) Minar vs. Moodie.

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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
After beating Kenneth Carlsen in Auckland, Brit-Scot Andy Murray said, "I think we both played like women in the first set," in his on-court interview. After a few boos from the crowd, Murray said "I was watching a Hopman Cup match on TV from here and [Svetlana] Kuznetsova said it after there were nine breaks in the first set, so that's why I said it."...Gold Coast winner Lucie Safarova has pulled from Canberra citing a groin injury: "I have had treatment three times today and tried to practice in the morning, but it is not good. I have pain when I serve and when I return, so for me I think it was better that I don't play. It is very disappointing because I have been looking forward to playing in Canberra. I hope I should be okay. The trainer has told me to take two or three days rest and then to try and practice a bit. It is not an injury I have had before but it has slowly become worse since the semifinal on the Gold Coast. Hopefully with rest it will improve."...Maria Sharapova looked fit is her first practice session in Melbourne Monday, while Tim Henman says his back is still an issue...Serena (knee) and Venus Williams (hip, back) have been practicing together in Melbourne, testing their injuries for next week's slam kick-off...Lleyton Hewitt has contracted a virus that may see the Aussie pulling from Sydney to rest for the Australian Open...From the Reuters feature on the return of Martina Hingis: "The early signs have not been encouraging. She was knocked out of the semifinals of the Australian women's hardcourt championship by Italian Flavia Pennetta in her first event back." Yes, not encouraging, because apparently the under-sized and under-powered Swiss is expected to win every event immediately after a three-year layoff? Nice insight...More from Reuters: "Andre Agassi, who took a set off [Roger] Federer in the US Open final, has already withdrawn injured and home hope Lleyton Hewitt, who together with [David] Nalbandian could be Federer's strongest challenger, has lost his last nine matches against the Swiss." Yes, strong challenger, that 0-9 run Hewitt has against Federer is also putting him at the top of our most-dangerous list! Brilliant Reuters! Two weeks of covering tennis then send those writers back to covering rugby...Lleyton Hewitt has won 400 career matches, and likes his Aussie Open chances: "I feel like if I get deep in the second week anyway, when you potentially have got to play the name players, I'm playing some of my best tennis anyway. Obviously, Roger [Federer] is the dominant player going around at the moment; everyone knows that. But you've got to keep putting yourself in those kind of positions like I have in my last, you know, seven or eight Grand Slams now and, you know, hopefully the tide will turn."...Katarina Srebotnik withdrew from Hobart this week due to illness...ESPN2 plans to televise 91 hours of Australian Open coverage, including 51 hours of live tennis, during the two-week tournament...On Monday Rafael Nadal flew to Barcelona for two practice sessions under the supervision of his doctor, get ready for the pull...Ivan Ljubicic blogging after winning Chennai: "It's been a fantastic week. I really enjoyed the food, the hotel and the organization was great. To finish the week as a winner is great. I have a bad record in finals and that's why I wanted this title so much. I didn't want people to think of me as a guy who always lost finals."