Federer, Nadal Win Tuesday at MS-Canada
Posted on August 9, 2006World No.1 Roger Federer was untroubled as he advanced to the second round of the Rogers Masters with a 6-3, 6-4 win against 24-year-old Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu on Tuesday. It was Federer's 49th consecutive victory on North American hard courts, which is a run stretching back to Cincinatti in the summer of 2004. Federer, who turned 25 today, will next play former world No.4 Sebastien Grosjean.
Defending champion Rafael Nadal booked his place in the second round of the Rogers Masters with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Nicolas Massu on Tuesday.
Second-seeded Nadal, the winner of five titles (Dubai, AMS Monte Carlo, Barcelona, AMS Rome, Roland Garros) this season, improved his match record to 44-5 with victory over Massu in one hour and 49 minutes.
Nadal is playing his first hard-court tournament since losing to Spanish compatriot Carlos Moya in the first round at the Nasdaq-100 Open, an ATP Masters Series event in Miami, and his first tournament since losing to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final last month.
The World No. 2 will next meet Hyung-Taik Lee in the second round after the Korean beat fellow qualifier Alejandro Falla 6-0, 6-7(5), 6-1.
While Nadal enjoyed smooth progress, two seeded players fell in first round action. Sixth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko lost his second career meeting against Xavier Malisse 6-3, 7-5 in 91 minutes, while American compatriot and qualifier Kevin Kim 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 beat No. 17 seed Robby Ginepri.
Malisse, who hit five aces and broke Davydenko three times, also won their only previous career meeting at San Jose four years ago. He now will meet Paradorn Srichaphan in the second round.
Davydenko, winner of his second clay court title of the year in Sopot last week (d. Mayer) -- adding to his Poertschach win (d. Pavel) in May, now holds a 44-21-match record.
Kim, currently No. 96 in the INDESIT ATP Rankings, handed Ginepri his third successive first round defeat at ATP Masters Series Canada, taking three-of-three break point opportunities as opposed to Ginepri's two from seven. Kim will now meet Fernando Verdasco, who claimed his 100th career win in beating Rajeev Ram 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Two times former semifinalist and No. 16 seed Tommy Haas continued his hold over Max Mirnyi, beating the Belarusian for the eighth time in nine career meetings. Haas, winner of three ATP titles in Delray Beach, Memphis and Los Angeles this season, recorded a 6-3, 6-3 victory in one hour and 13 minutes.
The German won 30 of 33 points on first serve and broke the Mirnyi three times from 13 opportunities and will next meet Russian Dmitry Tursunov, who beat Daniele Bracciali 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, in a repeat of the Los Angeles final two weeks ago.
Former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, currently No. 27 in the INDESIT ATP Rankings, beat American Paul Goldstein 7-5, 6-2 for a second-round meeting with No. 15 seed Fernando Gonzalez. Ferrero's best result at ATP Masters Series Canada came in 2001, when the Spaniard lost to eventual finalist Pat Rafter in the quarterfinals at Montreal.
Meanwhile eighth-seeded Radek Stepanek withdrew from the ATP Masters Series event with an upper back strain. German Denis Gremelmayr, who knocked out Munich finalist Kristof Vliegen 7-6(2), 6-2 for his tenth career ATP-level win, replaced the Czech in the draw as a lucky loser.
Marat Safin, a semifinalist at the Legg Mason Classic in Washington last week, crashed out to the No.7 seed, Tommy Robredo.
Robredo's 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 victory equaled their head-to-head contests to four wins each, and improved his 2006 record to 32-18. The Spaniard will play Argentina's Jose Acasuso next.
Eleventh seed Lleyton Hewitt came through a testing three-set battle with Juan Ignacio Chela in Toronto. Hewitt, who progressed 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, now leads the Argentine 3-2 in their head-to-head meetings. Hewitt, who won only 10 more points than Chela in the match, will now face Thomas Johansson in the next round.
Arnaud Clement recorded his sixth straight victory, having won the Legg Mason Classic in Washington last week, with a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 win over Alberto Martin. The 28-year-old Spaniard, Martin, was attempting to achieve his 200th career victory. Clement will look to extend his unbeaten run against fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic next.
Andy Murray continued his recent good form to advance to the second round in Toronto with a straight sets win over Spaniard David Ferrer. Murray came through 6-2, 7-6(6) and has now won five out of his last six matches under the guidance of new coach, Brad Gilbert. He will face compatriot Tim Henman in the next round.
-- ATP
Defending champion Rafael Nadal booked his place in the second round of the Rogers Masters with a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Nicolas Massu on Tuesday.
Second-seeded Nadal, the winner of five titles (Dubai, AMS Monte Carlo, Barcelona, AMS Rome, Roland Garros) this season, improved his match record to 44-5 with victory over Massu in one hour and 49 minutes.
Nadal is playing his first hard-court tournament since losing to Spanish compatriot Carlos Moya in the first round at the Nasdaq-100 Open, an ATP Masters Series event in Miami, and his first tournament since losing to Roger Federer in the Wimbledon final last month.
The World No. 2 will next meet Hyung-Taik Lee in the second round after the Korean beat fellow qualifier Alejandro Falla 6-0, 6-7(5), 6-1.
While Nadal enjoyed smooth progress, two seeded players fell in first round action. Sixth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko lost his second career meeting against Xavier Malisse 6-3, 7-5 in 91 minutes, while American compatriot and qualifier Kevin Kim 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 beat No. 17 seed Robby Ginepri.
Malisse, who hit five aces and broke Davydenko three times, also won their only previous career meeting at San Jose four years ago. He now will meet Paradorn Srichaphan in the second round.
Davydenko, winner of his second clay court title of the year in Sopot last week (d. Mayer) -- adding to his Poertschach win (d. Pavel) in May, now holds a 44-21-match record.
Kim, currently No. 96 in the INDESIT ATP Rankings, handed Ginepri his third successive first round defeat at ATP Masters Series Canada, taking three-of-three break point opportunities as opposed to Ginepri's two from seven. Kim will now meet Fernando Verdasco, who claimed his 100th career win in beating Rajeev Ram 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Two times former semifinalist and No. 16 seed Tommy Haas continued his hold over Max Mirnyi, beating the Belarusian for the eighth time in nine career meetings. Haas, winner of three ATP titles in Delray Beach, Memphis and Los Angeles this season, recorded a 6-3, 6-3 victory in one hour and 13 minutes.
The German won 30 of 33 points on first serve and broke the Mirnyi three times from 13 opportunities and will next meet Russian Dmitry Tursunov, who beat Daniele Bracciali 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, in a repeat of the Los Angeles final two weeks ago.
Former World No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero, currently No. 27 in the INDESIT ATP Rankings, beat American Paul Goldstein 7-5, 6-2 for a second-round meeting with No. 15 seed Fernando Gonzalez. Ferrero's best result at ATP Masters Series Canada came in 2001, when the Spaniard lost to eventual finalist Pat Rafter in the quarterfinals at Montreal.
Meanwhile eighth-seeded Radek Stepanek withdrew from the ATP Masters Series event with an upper back strain. German Denis Gremelmayr, who knocked out Munich finalist Kristof Vliegen 7-6(2), 6-2 for his tenth career ATP-level win, replaced the Czech in the draw as a lucky loser.
Marat Safin, a semifinalist at the Legg Mason Classic in Washington last week, crashed out to the No.7 seed, Tommy Robredo.
Robredo's 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 victory equaled their head-to-head contests to four wins each, and improved his 2006 record to 32-18. The Spaniard will play Argentina's Jose Acasuso next.
Eleventh seed Lleyton Hewitt came through a testing three-set battle with Juan Ignacio Chela in Toronto. Hewitt, who progressed 3-6, 6-2, 7-5, now leads the Argentine 3-2 in their head-to-head meetings. Hewitt, who won only 10 more points than Chela in the match, will now face Thomas Johansson in the next round.
Arnaud Clement recorded his sixth straight victory, having won the Legg Mason Classic in Washington last week, with a comfortable 6-2, 6-1 win over Alberto Martin. The 28-year-old Spaniard, Martin, was attempting to achieve his 200th career victory. Clement will look to extend his unbeaten run against fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic next.
Andy Murray continued his recent good form to advance to the second round in Toronto with a straight sets win over Spaniard David Ferrer. Murray came through 6-2, 7-6(6) and has now won five out of his last six matches under the guidance of new coach, Brad Gilbert. He will face compatriot Tim Henman in the next round.
-- ATP