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| May 10, 2006 | Wednesday | Rabi-us-Sani 11, 1427 |
Nadal shows no mercy to practice partner
ROME, May 9: Second seed Rafael Nadal began the defence of his Rome Masters title with a hard-fought 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 first round win over fellow Spaniard and practice partner Carlos Moya here on Tuesday. Victory for Nadal, the reigning French champion, took his record over Moya to 3-2 and kept him on course to break the all-time record for consecutive claycourt victories, currently held by Guillermo Vilas.
World number two Nadal now has 48 straight wins on his preferred surface, five less than Argentine Vilas whose record was set in 1977. If he retains the title here, Nadal will equal Vilas' record.
Last beaten on clay in April, 2005 when he lost to Igor Andreev in the Valencia quarterfinals, Nadal next faces either British number one Andy Murray or Italian Filippo Volandri.
Nadal admitted Moya, the 2004 Rome champion, was a very awkward opponent.
“The first set was easier than I thought, but the second set was much more difficult as he knows how to play me,” said the 19-year-old.
“When you practice with somebody every day it's inevitable that he's going to have an idea what to expect.
Carlos is one of the best clay players in the world. He came here unseeded and I am number two, so this was the worst first round match I could possibly have.”
Sixth seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia crushed Serbian Boris Pashanki 6-1, 6-4, but Argentina fared badly with eighth seed Gaston Gaudio and ninth seed Guillermo Coria both crashing out.
Gaudio lost to Belgium's Xavier Malisse, while Coria, who was beaten here by Nadal in last year's final, was sent packing by Spanish qualifier Ruben Ramirez.
Great Britain's Tim Henman left the home crowd disappointed by defeating Italian Alessio Di Mauro, while two Czechs advanced with 14th seed Radek Stepanek overcoming Feliciano Lopez and Tomas Berdych beating Thailand's Paradorn Srichaphan.
Results (first round)
Rafael Nadal (ESP) bt Carlos Moya (ESP) 6-1, 2-6, 6-2; Paul-Henri Mathieu (FRA) bt Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) 6-1, 6-3; Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) bt Sebastien Grosjean (FRA) 6-2, 6-1; Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) bt Boris Pashanki (SEM) 6-1, 6-4; Xavier Malisse (BEL) bt Gaston Gaudio (ARG ) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; Tim Henman (GBR) bt Alessio Di Mauro (ITA) 7-5, 7-6 (7/2); Tomas Berdych (CZE) bt Paradorn Srichaphan (THA) 6-1, 6-3; Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (ESP) bt Guillermo Coria (ARG) 6-3, 6-2; Radek Stepanek (CZE) bt Feliciano Lopez (ESP) 6-4, 6-4
German Open results
BERLIN: Results in the 1.34-million-dollar WTA German Open here on Tuesday:
First round: Li Na (CHN) bt Ana Ivanovic (SEM) 1-6, retired; Martina Muller (GER) bt Jill Craybas (USA) 1-6, 6-2, 6-2; Maret Ani (EST) bt Paola Suarez (ARG) 6-7 (9/11), 6-2, 6-0; Julia Schruff (GER) bt Emma Laine (FIN) 6-1, 6-4; Catalina Castano (COL) bt Sandra Kloesel (GER) 2-6, 6-1, 6-1; Julia Vakulenko (UKR) bt Maria Domachowski (POL) 6-4, 6-3; Katarina Srebotnik (SLO) bt Jelena Jankovic (SEM) 1-6, 6-3, 6-2; Laura Pous Tio (ESP) bt Elena Likhovtseva (RUS) 6-4, 6-3; Zheng Jie (CHN) bt Nathalie Dechy (FRA) 7-6 (7/4), 6-2; Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) bt Tatiana Panova (RUS) 6-1, 6-2; Klara Koukalova (CZE) bt Eleni Daniilidou (GRE) 7-5, 7-5.—Agencies
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