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ADELAIDE, Jan 5: Top seed Lleyton Hewitt was dumped out of the Australian hardcourt tennis championship in his home town here Thursday by 86th-ranked German Philipp Kohlschreiber.
World number four Hewitt went down in the 12th game of the final set to bow out 6-3, 0-6, 7-5 at Memorial Drive just over a week before the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Hewitt cited a poor start to the final set as the key to his defeat.
With only two matches in Adelaide, Hewitt said he would need some quality court time at his next event in Sydney next week to ready himself for the Open.
Hewitt’s defeat capped a poor day for Australian players in their own championship with wild card Mark Philippoussis losing 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 to second seed and now tournament favourite Dominik Hrbaty of the Slovak Republic.
Philippoussis looked capable of victory before second set lapses on serve allowed Hrbaty the breathing space to win.
Sixth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych set-up a quarter final with Kohlschreiber by ousting young Scot Andrew Murray 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 6-1.
Denmark’s Kenneth Carlsen also advanced with a 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 win over Croatian Ivo Karlovic.
Second round results: Dominik Hrbaty (SVK) bt Mark Philippoussis (AUS) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1; Tomas Berdych (CZE) bt Andy Murray (GBR) 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 6-1; Kenneth Carlsen (DEN) bt Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4; Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) bt Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) 6-3, 0-6, 7-5
Hantuchova struggleS
AUCKLAND: Second seed and crowd favourite Daniela Hantuchova survived a major scare in the quarterfinals of the Auckland Classic women’s tennis tournament Thursday, fighting back from 3-5 down in the third set to beat unheralded Israeli Tzipora Obziler.
She will now play Vera Zvonereva, with top seed Nadia Petrova to play Marion Bartoli in the other semi-final.
Hantuchova thought she was down and out against Obziler before reeling off four straight games in the final set for a 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 victory.
Zonareva, now ranked 42nd in the world, revived memories of when she was in the top 10 in toppling Russian compatriot and fourth seed Maria Kirilenko 6-2, 6-0, while Frenchwoman Bartoli similarly despatched Germany’s Julia Schruff by the same score.
In the last quarter-inal, the Russian top seed Petrova beat Kristina Brandi of Puerto Rico 6-1, 6-2 in a match which ended just before midnight after being delayed for three hours because of rain.
Petrova has yet to drop a set in the tournament.
Quarterfinals results: Vera Zvonareva (RUS) bt Maria Kirilenko (RUS) 6-2, 6-0; Daniela Hantuchova (SLO) bt Tzipora Obziler (ISR) 7-5, 3-6, 7-5; Marion Bartoli (FRA) bt Julia Schruff (GER) 6-2, 6-0; Nadia Petrova (RUS) bt Kristina Brandi (PUR) 6-1, 6-2.
Hingis into semis
GOLD COAST: Former world No. 1 Martina Hingis continued her professional comeback on Thursday with a win in the quarter finals of the Australian women’s hardcourt tournament, but was undecided on whether a similar return to the circuit by Helena Dokic could succeed.
Hingis, 25, retired due to injury three years ago but has made her most determined comeback to the game at the Gold Coast tournament where she Thursday wiped out Spain’s Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-2, 4-6, 6-0.
She will will now play Flavia Pennetta in the semifinal.
Dinara Safina will meet either defending champion Patty Schnyder or Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic in the semifinals after beating Spaniard Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-1, 6-3 earlier on Thursday.
Quarterfinals results: Dinara Safina (RUS) bt Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) 6-1, 6-3; Martina Hingis (SUI) bt Nuria Llagostera Vives (ESP) 6-2, 4-6, 6-0; Flavia Pennetta (ITA) bt Tatiana Golovin (FRA) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3; Lucie Safarova (CZE) bt Patty Schnyder (SUI) 6-4, 6-3.—Agencies
