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| May 7, 2003 | Wednesday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 4, 1424 |
Kuerten makes earliest career exit
ROME,May 6: Former champion and twice runner-up Gustavo Kuerten suffered his earliest career exit at the 2.45-million-euros Rome Masters on Tuesday as he was hammered out 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 in the first round by Argentine Gaston Gaudio.
The clash between South Americans dealt a set-back to Brazilian Guga’s hopes for a run at a fourth title at Roland Garros, which starts in less than three weeks.
Gaudio, winner of his only two career titles 13 months ago, has been playing an intense spring schedule and caught the 26-year-old former world number 1, seeded 14th, with a steady ground game.
Kuerten came back after dropping the first set, sweeping the second 6-2. The seed was rolling in the third until a loose ninth game, which allowed Gaudio to break for 5-4.
Kuerten had nowhere to run as the Argentine served out the upset, recovering from 15-40 and ending the afternoon as Kuerten sailed a return long.
Swiss fourth seed Roger Federer followed up a Sunday title in Germany with a hard-fought win into the second round, defeating Paul- Henri Mathieu of France 6-3, 7-5.
Federer, who lifted his third title of the season at Munich, had just a short time to get accustomed to the different balls, bounce and clay of the Italian capital.
But the 21-year-old, now with an ATP-leading 32 match wins this season, managed nicely as he stopped Mathieu in one hour, 26 minutes. He next faces Argentine Mariano Zabaleta, who advanced over Spain’s David Sanchez 6-4, 6-2.
Munich finalist Jarkko Nieminen of Finland upset Thailand’s ninth seed Paradorn Srichaphan 6-1, 6-2, while former champion Alex Corretja started with victory over Spanish compatriot Albert Portas 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.
Other winners included Argentinians Juan Chela and Agustin Calleri, Russian Nikolay Davydenko, and Spain’s Tommy Robredo, who eliminated 13th seed Sebastien Grosjean.
First round results (numbers denote seeding): Max Mirnyi bt Nicolas Lapentti 4-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-3, Jarkko Nieminen bt Paradorn Srichaphan 6-1 6-2, Nikolay Davydenko bt Karol Kucera 2-6 6-1 7-5, Raemon Sluiter bt Jan-Michael Gambill 6-4 4-6 6-2, Tommy Robredo bt Sebastien Grosjean 6-7 (7-4) 6-4 6-3, Juan Ignacio Chela beat Olivier Rochus 6-1 6-1, Mariano Zabaleta bt David Sanchez 6-4 6-2, Roger Federer bt Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-3 7-5, Gaston Gaudio bt Gustavo Kuerten 6-3 2-6 6-4, Agustin Calleri bt Stefan Koubek 6-2 6-2, Alex Corretja bt Albert Portas 3-6 6-2 6-2
Martinez crashes out
BERLIN: Two-times German Open champion Conchita Martinez of Spain made an early exit from the tournament when she fell in straight sets to local favourite Marlene Weingaertner in a first-round match on Tuesday.
Weingaertner delighted her home fans with a 6-2 7-5 victory over the 1994 Wimbledon champion, who looked only the shadow of the player who won the Berlin event in 1998 and 2000.
A former world number two, Martinez is nearing the end of a prolific career at 31 and has dropped out of the top 20 following a series of injury setbacks and poor results.
Eleni Daniilidou of Greece, the 12th seed, survived the first round easily with a 6-2 6-2 victory over German wild card entrant Angelika Bachmann.
Israel’s Anna Pistolesi, seeded 16th, also moved through to the second round, with a crushing 6-1 6-1 win over Russian Tatiana Panova.
Fourteen of the world’s top 20 players are warming up on the claycourts of the German capital for the French Open starting on May 26.
Results (x denotes new results).
FIRST ROUND
Denisa Chladkova def. Magdalena Maleeva 6-7 (1-7), 6-1, 6-4, Eleni Daniidilou def. Angelika Bachmann, 6- 2, 6-2, Meghann Shaughnessy def. Iva Majoli 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-4, Anna Pistolesi def. Tatiana Panova 6-1, 6-1, Fabiola Zuluaga def. Paola Suarez 6-3, 6-1, Iroda Tulyaganova def. Barbara Rittner 6-1, 6-1, Vera Zvonareva def. Myriam Casanova 3-6, 6- 2, 6-2, Marlene Weingaertner def. Conchita Martinez 6-2, 7-5,
SECOND ROUND
Justine Henin-Hardenne def. Daja Bedanova 6-4, 6-1, Daniela Hantuchova def. Barbara Schett 6- 3, 4-6, 6-4.—dpa/Reuters
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