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| January 15, 2002 | Tuesday | Shawwal 30, 1422 |
Withdrawals blight first day
MELBOURNE, Jan 14: The Australian Open was rocked on Monday after three of its biggest drawcards pulled out with injuries on the opening day.
Andre Agassi, men’s champion the last two years, and women’s fifth seed Serena Williams left gaping holes in the tournament when they announced they had failed to beat injuries in time to play at the first grand slam of the year.
They were joined on the sidelines by former champion and fans’ favourite Mary Pierce who retired from her first round match after just four games.
Men’s second seed Gustavo Kuerten did not stay long at Melbourne Park either, the Brazilian blowing a two-set lead to fall 3-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-3 to France’s Julien Boutter.
Agassi’s dreams of winning a fourth Australian crown were left in tatters by a wrist injury he picked up in a warm-up event at Kooyong.
Despite making a “210 percent” effort to play her first round match, Serena’s chances were scuppered after she twisted her ankle at the Sydney International last week.
The tournament was also blighted by rain during a slow start to play, but when the action did get underway, former champions Martina Hingis and Yevgeny Kafelnikov and Wimbledon winner Goran Ivanisevic all booked their second round spots safely.
Hingis, finalist each of the past five years and three times a winner, beat France’s Virginie Razzano 6-2 6-2 while Russia’s Kafelnikov, champion here in 1999 and runner-up a year later, beat Germany’s Michael Kohlmann 6-3 6-3 6-2.
Tenth seed Ivanisevic, a loser in the first round of qualifying here last year, overcame a slow start to beat Czech Martin Damm 4-6 7-5 7-6 6-4.
Sixth seed Tim Henman made short work of Australian Todd Larkham 7-5 6-2 6-2 and was joined in the second round by fellow Briton Greg Rusedski, a 7-6 6-3 7-5 victor over Australia’s Scott Draper.
A total of six seeded players failed to make it past the first day with Kuerten the biggest casualty in the men’s draw and French ninth seed Sandrine Testud the highest woman to fall. She lost 7-5 4-6 6-3 to compatriot Nathalie Dechy.
Serena’s elder sister, second seed Venus Williams, blasted fellow American Ansley Cargill 6-2 6-2 while 13th seed Magdalena Maleeva of Bulgaria beat Swiss Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian 6-3 6-4 and eighth-seeded American Monica Seles beat another Swiss Patty Schnyder 6-1 6-2.
In men’s action, 12th seed Guillermo Canas of Argentina beat Thai Paradorn Srichaphan 6-1 6-1 6-4 and 1999 runner-up Thomas Enqvist bounced back from a set down to beat France’s Nicolas Thomann 2-6 6-3 6-1 6-2.
But on-court events were overshadowed by the drama developing off it.
Agassi delivered the first body blow to the tournament on Monday morning when he announced he would not be defending his title.
“This is not good news for anyone,” an ashen-faced Agassi told reporters at a hastily-arranged news conference.
“I saw a doctor on Sunday and when I woke up this morning my stomach was churning. I told (tournament director) Paul (McNamee) and it was a very difficult conversation.
“But hopefully this is something that, by treating it immediately, I can solve.”
Agassi said the withdrawal was a bitter disappointment to the three-times champion, but the ramifications of the injury could prove worse.
“There’s a long-term concern here...I am worried it is career-ending.”
Wearing blue jeans instead of his tracksuit work clothes, the 31-year-old added: “At this age it doesn’t take many weeks out of the sport for it to be career-ending.”
Just a few hours later, Serena joined Agassi at the exit gates.
The 20-year-old had been due to play former Wimbledon champion Conchita Martinez on the first day of the tournament.
“If you only knew how big a disappointment it is to come all this way and then have to turn around go home and start all over.
“This is a really tough result for me. I think I could have done beyond well here.
“I was keeping hope alive as always in my case.
“As long as I am healthy this is just a small pebble that I will jump over.”
Serena, younger sister of second seed Venus, said she was disappointed a request to play her match on Tuesday had not been granted by officials.
“It would be bogus of me...fabricating things if I said it didn’t bother me but I’m not here to start a controversy. I will take this like a champion.”
While Agassi returns to the U.S. straight away, Serena said she may stay in Melbourne to support her sister. They teamed up to win the doubles together last year.
“I might stick around maybe, I love supporting Venus so you might see me in the stands. I will twiddle my thumbs.”
Results:
MEN
First round (prefix number denotes seeding):
Mark Philippoussis (Australia) beat Galo Blanco (Spain) 6-3 6-4 7-5; James Blake (U.S.) beat 14-Alex Corretja (Spain) 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 6-2; 32-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Michael Russell (U.S.) 6-7 (5-7) 6-3 6-3 6-4; Jerome Golmard (France) beat Wayne Arthurs (Australia) 7-6 (7-4) 7-5 7-6 (7-5); Stefan Koubek (Austria) beat Cyril Saulnier (France) 0-6 1-6 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 8-6; Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Sargis Sargsian (Armenia) 6-1 6-3 7-6 (7-5); Ramon Delgado (Paraguay) beat Albert Montanes (Spain) 7-5 6-7 (5-7) 4-6 6-4 6-1; Alex Kim (U.S.) beat Davide Sanguinetti (Italy) 3-6 6-2 6-3 6-4; 10-Goran Ivanisevic (Croatia) beat Martin Damm (Czech Republic) 4-6 7-5 7-6 (7-4) 6-4; 18-Albert Portas (Spain) beat Andrew Ilie (Australia) 6-7 (3-7) 7-6 (8-6) 6-2 6-0; 31-Andreas Vinciguerra (Sweden) beat Federico Luzzi (Italy) 6-2 6-2 7-6 (7-3); Taylor Dent (U.S.) beat Michal Tabara (Czech Republic) 6-2 6-1 6-2; Andrea Gaudenzi (Italy) beat Richard Fromberg (Australia) 1-6 6-0 7-5 6-3; 5-Sebastien Grosjean (France) beat Juan Balcells (Spain) 6-2 2-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-2); 22-Hicham Arazi (Morocco) beat Ivo Hueberger (Switzerland) 6-4 6-2 4-6 7-6 (7-1); 28-Greg Rusedski (Britain) beat Scott Draper (Australia) 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 7-5; Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) beat Lars Burgsmuller (Germany) 3-6 2-6 6-3 6-3 7-5; Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) beat Nicolas Massu (Chile) 6-4 retired; Markus Hipfl (Austria) beat Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) 6-1 6-4 3-6 6-4; Adrian Voinea (Romania) beat David Sanchez (Spain) 5-7 6-2 7-6 (7-5) 6-2; 12-Guillermo Canas (Argentina) beat Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) 6-1 6-1 6-4; 24-Thomas Enqvist (Sweden) beat Nicolas Thomann (France) 2-6 6-3 6-1 6-2; Francisco Clavet (Spain) beat Martin Lee (Britain) 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 6-0; Kristian Pless (Denmark) beat Max Mirnyi (Belarus) 7-6 (7-1) 6-1 6-0; Fernando Vincente (Spain) beat Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark) 2-6 2-6 6-4 6-4 10-8; Julien Boutter (France) beat 2-Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil) 3-6 4-6 7-5 6-3 6-3; Vladimir Voltchkov (Belarus) beat Cecil Mamiit (U.S.) 3-6 6-3 6-3 6-3; 16-Thomas Johansson (Sweden) beat Jacobo Diaz (Spain) 6-1 3-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4; 4-Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) beat Michael Kohlmann (Germany) 6-3 6-3 6-2; 6-Tim Henman (Britain) beat Todd Larkham (Australia) 7-5 6-2 6-2; 26-Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) beat Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) 6-1 6-0 6-4; 21-Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) beat Jiri Vanek (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-3 6-3
WOMEN
11-Silvia Farina Elia (Italy) beat Lilia Osterloh (U.S.) 6-4 3-6 6-4; 28-Anne Kremer (Luxembourg) beat Denisa Chladkova (Czech Republic) 6-3 6-4; Adriana Serra Zanetti (Italy) beat Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spain) 6-2 2-6 7-5; Jelena Kostanic (Croatia) beat Samantha Reeves (U.S.) 6-0 6-7 (6-8) 6-3; 18-Lisa Raymond (U.S.) beat Seda Noorlander (Netherlands) 6-0 6-1; Amy Frazier (U.S.) beat 22-Henrieta Nagyova (Slovakia) 7-5 6-4; 3-Martina Hingis (Switzerland) beat Virginie Razzano (France) 6-2 6-2; 17-Barbara Schett (Austria) beat Andrea Glass (Germany) 6-2 6-4; Barbara Rittner (Germany) beat Eva Bes (Spain) 6-3 6-4; 31-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) beat Aniko Kapros (Hungary) 4-6 6-3 8-6; 32-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) beat Maja Matevzic (Slovenia) 6-3 6-1; Rossana Neffa-De Los Rios (Paraguay) beat Elena Tatarkova (Ukraine) 6-3 6-2; Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) beat Bahia Mouhtassine (Morocco) 6-2 4-6 6-1; Bianka Lamade (Germany) beat Celine Beigbeder (France) 5-7 7-5 6-2; Martina Sucha (Slovakia) beat Leon Garcia Gala (Spain) 1-6 6-2 6-4; Jennifer Hopkins (U.S.) beat Irina Selyutina (Kazakhstan) 6-2 0-6 6-2; Mariana Diaz-Oliva (Argentina) beat 26-Cristina Torrens-Valero (Spain) 7-5 6-4; Tathiana Garbin (Italy) beat Marissa Irvin (U.S.) 6-0 6-3; 2-Venus Williams (U.S.) beat Ansley Cargill (U.S.) 6-2 6-2; 13-Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) beat Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian (Switzerland) 6-3 6-4; Kristina Brandi (U.S.) beat Ludmila Cervanova (Slovakia) 6-3 4-6 6-0; Greta Arn (Germany) beat Samantha Stosur (Australia) 6-2 4-6 6-2; Cara Black (Zimbabwe) beat Emilie Loit (France) 7-5 6-3; Jill Craybas (U.S.) beat Mary Pierce (France) 4-0 retired; Monica Seles (U.S.) beat Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) 6-1 6-2; Asa Svensson (Sweden) beat Evie Dominikovic (Australia) 6-3 6-2; Nathalie Dechy (France) beat 9-Sandrine Testud (France) 7-5 4-6 6-3; Kveta Hrdlickova (Czech Republic) beat Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) 4-6 6-3 6-2; Nuria Llagostera Vives (Spain) beat Jana Kandarr (Germany) 6-0 6-1; 15-Amanda Coetzer (South Africa) beat Miriam Oremans (Netherlands) 6-1 6-1; 21-Daja Bedanova (Czech Republic) beat Tatiana Poutchek (Belarus) 6-1 6-2—Reuters
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