|
|
| August 7, 2003 | Thursday | Jumadi-us-Sani 8, 1424 |
Federer survives mighty scare
MONTREAL, Aug 6: Wimbledon champion Roger Federer survived a mighty scare against Argentina’s Gaston Gaudio in the first round of the Montreal Masters on Tuesday, before hanging for a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 victory.
World number 28 Gaudio led 4-2 in the final set with three break points against third seed Federer before the Swiss roared back, winning the next three games with timely assaults toward the net.
The 21-year-old seemed a little rusty after a three-week lay-off following his Wimbledon victory and runners-up spot in Gstaad a week later.
The victory sets up a second-round match against world number 60 Greg Rusedski of Britain, who was born in Montreal.
Like Federer, sixth seed Andy Roddick was forced to go the distance to get past world number 62 Xavier Malisse, who played well to take the opening set before the American found his touch from the baseline in a 3-6, 6-0, 6-2 victory.
Russia’s Nikolay Davydenko ended the hopes of Canadian wildcard Frank Dancevic 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 in three tough sets and now faces the daunting prospect of a second-round match against world number one and top seed Andre Agassi.
However, one Canadian wildcard did make it through the first round as Daniel Nestor completed a 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 win over Robby Ginepri, while 10th seeded Jiri Novak edged a three-set battle against Croatia’s Mario Ancic 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.
Tuesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):
First round: 2-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) beat Cyril Saulnier (France) 6-4, 6-4; Vince Spadea (US) beat Raemon Sluiter (Netherlands) 6-3, 6-4; Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Russia) beat Gregory Carraz (France) 1-6, 6-2, 6-4; 3-Roger Federer (Switzerland) beat Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) 6-4, 3-6, 7-5; 9-Sebastien Grosjean (France) beat Fernando Vicente (Spain) 6-3, 6-3; 15-Martin Verkerk (Netherlands) beat Sargis Sargsian (Armenia) 6-2, 4-6, 7-5; Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) beat Frank Dancevic (Canada) 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-3; David Nalbandian (Argentina) beat Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5); 5-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) beat Bob Bryan (US) 6-2, 6-2; 10-Jiri Novak (Czech Republic) beat Mario Ancic (Croatia) 7-5, 3-6, 6-3; Mariano Zabaleta (Argentina) beat 12-Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) 6-1, 6-1; Tim Henman (Britain) beat 14-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) 6-2 — retired; Daniel Nestor (Canada) beat Robby Ginepri (US) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; 6-Andy Roddick (US) beat Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 3-6, 6-0, 6-2; Feliciano Lopez (Spain) beat 7-Guillermo Coria (Argentina) 6-3 — retired; 16-Tommy Robredo (Spain) beat Hyung-Taik Lee (South Korea) 6-4, 7-6 (7-0); Max Mirnyi (Belarus) beat Nicolas Massu (Chile) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4); Wayne Black (Zimbabwe) beat Wayne Ferreira (South Africa) 6-4, 2-1 — retired; Karol Kucera (Slovakia) beat Jan-Michael Gambill (US) 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3).
WINNING DEBUT
LOS ANGELES: Ukrainian teenager Viktoriya Kutuzova celebrated her WTA Tour main draw debut with a 6-4, 6-4
win over Lina Krasnorout-
skaya in the first round of the
JP Chase Morgan Open on Tuesday.
Another teenager, Maria Sharapova, also victorious, stunning fellow Russian and 14th seed Nadia Petrova 6-2, 2-6, 7-5 in the second round.
Kutuzova, a 14-year-old wildcard, overcame her nerves and the more experienced Russian Krasnoroutskaya in a contest lasting one hour and 45 minutes.
After receiving a first-round bye, fourth seed Ai Sugiyama of Japan had a tough 2-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over compatriot Saori Obata.
Tuesday’s results:
Second round: 4-Ai Sugiyama (Japan) beat Saori Obata (Japan) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3; 7-Conchita Martinez (Spain) beat Tara Snyder (US) 6-4, 6-3; 11-Silvia Farina Elia (Italy) beat Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) 7-5, 2-6, 6-4; Maria Sharapova (Russia) beat 14-Nadia Petrova (Russia) 6-2, 2-6, 7-5; 6-Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) beat Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) 6-3, 6-3.
First round: Barbara Schett (Austria) beat Amy Frazier (US) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Magui Serna (Spain) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3); Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spain) beat Cara Black (Zimbabwe) 7-5, 6-3; Viktoriya Kutuzova (Ukraine) beat Lina Krasnoroutskaya (Russia) 6-4, 6-4; Fabiola Zuluaga (Columbia) beat Tina Pisnik (Slovenia) 6-1, 6-3; Nicole Pratt (Australia) beat Maria Sanchez-Lorenzo (Spain) 7-6 (7-1), 6-4; Paola Suarez (Argentina) beat Alicia Molik (Australia) 6-4, 6-4.—Reuters/AFP
|
|
