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| May 15, 2003 | Thursday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 12, 1424 |
Henman overcomes injured Grosjean
Hamburg, May 14: Three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten raised his game when it mattered on Wednesday when he beat Russian Nikolay Davydenko, 7-5, 6-0, for a place in the third round of the 2.45-million euro Hamburg Masters Series.
The 11 seed Kuerten came back from an early 2-0 deficit and won the last eight games from 5-5 in the opening set.
He wrapped up matters on the second match point after 1 hour 21 minutes when Davydenko, who stands 17th in the year-long points race, hit a forehand wide.
Kuerten won in Hamburg in 2000, one of his 13 trophies on clay. However, he has not won a title on the dirt in now 22 months since a July 2001 victory in Stuttgart, Germany.
The Brazilian has had a disastrous 2003 season by his standard on European clay, with a quarter-final berth in Barcelona his best showing.
He went out in the first round in Rome last week and now mainly needs to rebuild his confidence in Hamburg, less than two weeks before the next edition of the Paris Grand Slam.
In the third round, the Brazilian runs into South African veteran Wayne Ferreira, who hammered Spain’s Feliciano Lopez, 6-1, 6-2.
Briton Tim Henman also got a welcome win in his comeback effort from shoulder surgery with a 6-0, 3-6, 6-2 victory against 10 seed Sebastien Grosjean of France.
The match, in which Grosjean was handicapped by a thigh injury, was interrupted by rain after the first set and at 4-1 in the third.
Ninth seed Rainer Schuettler won a German duel with Lars Burgsmueller, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, and now runs into 8 seed David Nalbandian of Argentina, a 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 winner over France’s Anthony Dupuis.
Second round results:
David Nalbandian (ARG) bt Anthony Dupuis (FRA) 5-7, 6-2, 6-3;
Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) bt Karol Beck (SVK) 6-7 (7/9), 6-4, 6-2;
Rainer Schuettler (GER) bt Lars Burgsmuller (GER) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4;
Gaston Gaudio (ARG) bt David Sanchez (SPA) 6-7 (8/10), 6-3, 6-1;
Tim Henman (GBR) bt Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) 6-0, 3-6, 6-2;
Gustavo Kuerten (BRA) bt Nikolai Davydenko (RUS) 7-5, 6-0;
Guillermo Coria (ARG) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 6-3, 6-4;
Wayne Ferreira (RSA) bt Feliciano Lopez (SPA) 6-1, 6-2;
Mariano Zabaleta (ARG) bt Tommy Robredo (SPA x14) 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
ROME: Two-time finalist Amelie Mauresmo won her opening match at the US$1.3m Italian Masters on Wednesday, holding off a charge from Russian Lina Krasnoroutskaya 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) to reach the third round.
The French fifth seed was playing for the first time since last weekend’s semifinal loss in Berlin to eventual champion Justien Henin-Hardenne.
Soaring temperatures in excess of 30 celsius on court made the match a struggle, with Mauresmo winning through against either Italian Flavia Pennetta or Anna Pistolesi, married to her Italian coach Claudio Pistolesi.
Second round results:
Jennifer Capriati (USA) bt Fabiola Zuluaga (COL) 6-3, 6-4;
Tina Pisnik (SLO) bt Magdalena Maleeva (BUL) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5;
Cara Black (ZIM) bt Laura Granville (USA) 7-5, 1-6, 6-4;
Daniela Hantuchova (SVK) bt Magui Serna (SPA) 7-6 (7/4), 1-6, 6-4;
Nadia Petrova (RUS) bt Monica Seles (USA) 6-3, 4-1, ret;
Anastasia Myskina (RUS) bt Maja Matevzic (SLO) 6-2, 6-3;
Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) bt Lina Krasnoroutskaya (RUS) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5);
Patty Schnyder (SWI) bt Barbara Schett (AUT) 6-0, 6-2;
Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS) bt Eleni Danilidou (GRE) 6-3, 6-2.
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