Agassi Pulls, Nadal Beaten, Sharapova Dresses Up in Miami

Posted on March 25, 2006

Moya Snaps Nadal 22-Match Spanish Win Streak at Miami

After taking teen Rafael Nadal under his wing over the years, then losing two of their first three meetings on tour, unseeded former Spanish No. 1 Carlos Moya said enough is enough Friday at the Masters Series-Miami, turning around a one-set deficit to defeat the world No. 2 2-6, 6-1, 6-1 to advance into the third round.

In the end it was Moya who better adapted to the windy conditions in Miami, snapping Nadal's 22-match win streak over his fellow Spaniards, and cutting loose with increased aggressiveness after getting rolled in the first set.

"The fact that we know each other very well is better for the one who has a lower ranking," Moya told reporters. "In this case, it's me."

Nadal for his part was bothered by an ankle injury sustained last week at Indian Wells.

"For sure I didn't play 100 percent," Nadal told reporters. "But he played very good, too...My physical condition is not my best now, especially after I turned my ankle. I have some problems when I play big points, when I go strong to one side. But that's not a special excuse."

Other upset highlights Friday were France's Florent Serra taking out No. 12 seed Richard Gasquet, and Chile's Nicolas Massu ousting No. 21 Tommy Robredo, and Augstin Calleri defeating No. 28 Gael Monfils.

Seeded winners on the day were (3) David Nalbandian (d. Goldstein in three), (5) Nikolay Davydenko (d. Fish), (6) Ivan Ljubicic (d. Vik in three), (15) Radek Stepanek (d. Malisse), (16) Nicolas Kiefer (d. Santoro in three), (18) Fernando Gonzalez (d. Wawrinka 7-6 in the third), (20) Robby Ginepri (d. Carlsen), (22) Mario Ancic (d. K.Kim in three), (25) Marcos Baghdatis (d. (Q) Bogomolov Jr.), (26) Tomas Berdych (d. Acasuso), and (30) Filippo Volandri (d. (Q) Llodra from a set down).

No. 10 seed Andre Agassi withdrew from Miami Friday with his ongoing back injury.

Marquee match-ups scheduled for Saturday play in Miami are (13) Lleyton Hewitt vs. Tim Henman, (1) Roger Federer vs. Arnaud Clement, (7) Guillermo Coria vs. Novak Djokovic, (4) Andy Roddick vs. Al Martin, (9) James Blake vs. the Donald-Bageler Carlos Berlocq, (32) Juan Ignacio Chela vs. "Grinning" Greg Rusedski, "Rappin'" Vincent Spadea vs. Fernando "Hot Sauce" Verdasco, and (23) Jarkko Nieminen vs. Mark Philippoussis.

Henin Upset, Mauresmo Bakes Bagels in Miami

American Meghann Shaughnessy, who lost her first five matches of 2006, broke out of her funk in a big way Friday at the NASDAQ-100 in Miami, upsetting No. 3 seed Justine Henin-Hardenne 7-5, 6-4 in second-round action.

"She played really well, and I wasn't at my best," Henin-Hardenne told reporters. "I missed a little bit of confidence, so you play more neutral, more in the middle than going for the winners."

Shaughnessy snapped her five-match losing streak right before Miami with a quarterfinal effort at Acapulco.

"This one is very special because I've been struggling lately and haven't been playing my best tennis," said Shaughnessy, who didn't face a break point in the match, speaking with reporters. "So to go out and play a match like that against Justine, it means a lot to me."

Other upsets Friday were orchestrated by Greece's Eleni Daniilidou (d. (18) Safina), the Ukraine's Alona Bondarenko (d. (23) Medina Garrigues), and American Jamea Jackson (d. (26) Dulko).

Seeded winners were (1) Amelie Mauresmo (d. Stosur 0-and-0), (5) Nadia Petrova (d. Sanchez Lorenzo), (7) Patty Schnyder (d. Diaz-Oliva), (12) Svetlana Kuznetsova (d. Zvonareva), (13) Daniela Hantuchova (d. Ondraskova in three), (15) Elena Likhovtseva (d. Peng in three), (14) Ana Ivanovic (d. Benesova in three), (21) Ai Sugiyama (d. Schruff), (24) Martina Hingis (d. Sun), (28) Katarina Srebotnik (d. Washington), (30) Marion Bartoli (d. Yakimova), and (32) Sofia Arvidsson (d. Foretz).

Marquee match-ups Saturday in Miami are (2) Kim Clijsters vs. American Jill Craybas, (4) Maria Sharapova vs. China's Na Li, (10) Anastasia Myskina vs. Ekaterina "The" Bychkova "Is Back" in an all-Russian, and (6) Elena Dementieva vs. the Sania-killer (WC) Anna Tatishvili.

Agassi Miami Withdrawal Speeds Retirement Speculation

Thus far the year 2006, widely believed to be Andre Agassi's last on tour whether he likes it or not, has been unkind to the former top-ranked American who on Friday withdrew from the Masters Series-Miami due to his ongoing back problem.

Pain from a sciatic nerve injury has felled the American numerous times over the last few months. Cortisone injections seemed to keep the injury at bay for the better part of 2005, but have been less effective toward the end of last year. In January Agassi skipped the Australian Open, then pulled from the ATP San Jose event, also suffering late last year with a twisted ankle.

"I really, really want to (play)," Agassi told reporters in Miami. "I plan on it. I'm optimistic about it. But I have to also call it like it is right now. Is it possible that I can't anymore? It's definitely possible...I'm hoping the decisions I make over the next several months will put my body in a better place."

After blowing set points then going away in the second set against Tommy Haas at the previous tour stop in Indian Wells, Agassi was at his most despondent.

"It's been a long time since I've felt good on the court," Agassi said after the Indian Wells loss. "It's just getting tiring, that's all. It never feels good when you're losing often. You know, to have a few good wins and have a good tournament would help me, remind me right now why I'm doing this. But as of right now it's hard to feel that thrilled about it."

In Indian Wells, Agassi surprisingly announced he would be available for next month's U.S. Davis Cup challenge on grass, hosting Chile. U.S. captain Patrick McEnroe would have been faced with a tough decision, potentially bouncing James Blake from the team, but now it appears the decision has been made for him.

The announcement is simply an early vacation for Agassi, who previously said he would likely skip most if not all of the claycourt season, which begins after Miami.

Agassi had competed in Miami/Key Biscayne over the last 19 consecutive years.

"I love playing here -- a lot of memories, a lot of great matches," Agassi told reporters. "This is disappointing. It would have been nice to be here, but it's not worth being less than my best."

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