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| April 17, 2003 | Thursday | Safar 14, 1424 |
Norman avenges defeat by downing Kuerten
MONACO, April 16: Many of the stars, such as Andre Agassi and Lleyton Hewitt, for one reason or another elected not to come.
But one packed his bags early as two-time Monte Carlo Masters champion Gustavo Kuerten snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on Wednesday, Swede Magnus Norman posting a 1-6, 7-5, 6-2 win to avenge his 2000 French Open final loss against the Brazilian showman.
Kuerten, three times a champion at Roland Garros, had needed nine match points to beat Norman three years ago in Paris.
This time he didn’t just have trouble closing things out - he crashed out - somehow contriving to lose a 6-1, 5-2 advantage as Norman roared back to book a third round meeting with Italy’s Filippo Volandri, a 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) winner over Argentine sixth seed David Nalbandian, last year’s Wimbledon finalist.
Norman, a wildcard entrant here, has endured two atrocious injury-ravaged years and said the 1hr 58min win tasted all the sweeter given the identity of his opponent.
“This was one of my best victories. I am very happy because I had a lot of problems the last two years with my body.”
In addition, he had never forgotten his Roland Garros beating.
“That match stuck in my mind. So I am happy to get the revenge today,” said the 26-year-old from Filipstad now ranked a modest 94th on the ATP Entry System.
If South American fans were disappointed so were those from the north as James Blake, the US 15th seed, joined third-seeded compatriot Andy Roddick in the Monegasque out-tray.
The 23-year-old Blake lost out to one Argentine who did find his form as Guillermo Coria knocked him out 6-0, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3.
Blake said the reason for his demise, a sore shoulder aside, was simple.
“The first set and a half I just didn’t move my feet,” he shrugged.
“But last year I lost in the first round here - so I definitely improved on that!”
Now only Vincent Spadea remains of the US contingent ahead of his date later Wednesday against Arnaud Clement of France.
Coria will next face either French Open champion Albert Costa - or 16-year-old fellow Spaniard Rafael Nadal.
German eighth seed and Australian Open finalist Rainer Schuttler of Germany slid out to 65th-ranked Spanish qualifier Alberto Martin, who won 6-2, 6-4, while Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen was too strong for Russia’s former French Open champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov, winning 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Argentine 13th seed Gaston Gaudio advanced by hammering Peruvian Luis Horna 6-4, 6-1.
Top seed and holder Juan Carlos Ferrero was later up against fellow Spaniard Felix Mantilla and second seed Carlos Moya, the 1998 champion, was pitted against South African veteran Wayne Ferreira.
Results (x denotes seed):
Second round: Vince Spadea (USA) bt Arnaud Clement (FRA) 6-7 (4/7) 6-1, 6-2; Sjeng Schalken (NED x9) bt Lee Hyung-Taik (KOR) 7-5, 6-2; Tommy Robredo (SPA x16) bt Julien Benneteau (FRA) 6-2, 6-2; Julien Boutter (FRA) bt Paradorn Srichaphan (THA x7) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Juan Ignacio Chela (ARG) bt Jiri Novak (CZE x5) 6-4, 6-2; Fernando Vicente (SPA) bt Feliciano Lopez (SPA) 7-6 (8/6), 6-1; Magnus Norman (SWE) bt Gustavo Kuerten (BRA x10) 1-6, 7-5, 6-2; Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) bt Yevgeny Kafelnikov (RUS) 3-6, 6-2, 6-2; Alberto Martin (SPA) bt Rainer Schuttler (GER x 8) 6-2, 6-4; Ivan Ljubicic (CRO) bt Albert Portas (SPA) 6-4, 6-3 Guillermo Coria (ARG) bt James Blake (USA x15) 6-0, 6-7 (3/7), 6-3; Gaston Gaudio (ARG x13) bt Luis Horna (PER) 6-4, 6-1; Filippo Volandri (ITA) bt David Nalbandian (ARG x6) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6)
AMELIA ISLAND (Florida): Second seed Lindsay Davenport won easily while Jennifer Capriati was tested in their first matches of a 585,000 dollar WTA clay court event here on Tuesday.
Davenport, of the United States, cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Australia’s Nicole Pratt and moved on to the third round.
Davenport returns to this event for the first time since 1999.
The 26-year-old, who underwent knee surgery in January 2002, won this event six years ago.
She arrives having reached the semi-finals in a WTA tournament last week in Charleston.
She holds 4-0 lifetime record against Pratt.
After receiving a first-round bye, the third-seeded Capriati posted a 6-4, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian of Switzerland.
Capriati took the first set in 37 minutes but needed 72 to secure the second. She pulled out of Charleston with strep throat.
Fourth seed Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia beat Japanese qualifier Akiko Morigami 7-5, 6-2.
A quarter-finalist for the fifth time last week in Charleston, the 19-year-old Hantuchova will take on No. 16 American Alexandra Stevenson in the third round.
Stevenson advanced with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Els Callens of Belgium. She snapped a four-match winning streak and won for the first time since reaching the semi-finals at Scottsdale in early March.
No. 12 Lisa Raymond of the United States defeated Ukrainian qualifier Julia Vakulenko, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1; No. 14 Clarisa Fernandez of Argentina eliminated American Jill Craybas, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-2; and Lina Krasnoroutskaya rallied past fellow Russian Tatiana Panova, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Results
Second Round: Lindsay Davenport (USA x2) bt Nicole Pratt (AUS) 6-1, 6-0; Jennifer Capriati (USA x3) bt Marie-Gaianeh Mikaelian (SWI) 6-4, 7-6 (7/5) Daniela Hantuchova (SVK x4) bt Akiko Morigami (JPN) 7-5, 6-2; Amanda Coetzer (RSA x8) bt Vera Zvonareva (RUS) 7-5, 4-6, 6-0; Lisa Raymond (USA x12) bt Julia Vakulenko (UKR) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1; Clarisa Fernandez (ARG x14) bt Jill Craybas (USA) 6-7(8/10), 6-4, 6-2; Alexandra Stevenson (USA x16) bt Els Callens (BEL) 7-5, 6-3
First Round: Virginia Ruano Pascual (SPA) bt Alina Jidkova (RUS) 6-2, 7-5; Maja Matevzic (SLO) bt Meilen Tu (SLO) 4-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4); Tina Pisnik (SLO) bt Jennifer Hopkins (USA) 6-7 (2/7), 7-6 (8/6), 6-1; Lina Krasnoroutskaya (RUS) bt Tatiana Panova (RUS) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2; Marlene Weingartner (GER) bt Tathiana Garbin (ITA) 6-4, 5-7, 7-5.—AFP
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