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| August 09, 2006 | Wednesday | Rajab 13, 1427 |
Nalbandian becomes early casualty at Toronto Masters
TORONTO, Aug 8: Third seed Argentine David Nalbandian went out of the Toronto Masters in the first round on Monday when he was beaten 6-1, 6-2 by grey-haired Italian Davide Sanguinetti.
The burly Nalbandian was completely outclassed by the 33-year-old qualifier, who needed just 58 minutes to collect his first win in three attempts on Canadian hard courts.
In other first-round action, fourth seed Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia eased passed Spain's Nicolas Almagro 7-5, 6-1 and fifth seed James Blake needed just 56 minutes to crush the hopes of home town favourite 17-year-old Canadian Philip Bester 6-4, 6-1.
In contrast, Argentina's Jose Acasuso needed more than two hours and an epic second set tie-break to beat Germany's Bjorn Phau 7-5, 7-6 (20-18).
The tie-break equalled the longest on the ATP Tour record books. It marks the fifth time a singles tie-break had gone the record distance first reached by Bjorn Borg and Premjit Nall at Wimbledon in 1973.
Sanguinetti had just three career wins over top 10 opponents and the 24-year-old Nalbandian — currently a career-high number three in the world rankings — represents the biggest scalp claimed by a man who spent last week playing at a Challenger event in Recanati, Italy.
Czech Tomas Berdych, seeded 13, advanced with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Canada's Daniel Nestor while 15th seed Fernando Gonzalez of Chile scraped by Sweden's Robin Soderline 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
Ninth seed and Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis joined Nalbandian at the exit after falling 5-7, 6-2, 6-3 Julien Benneteau of France.
Britain's Tim Henman received easy passage into the second round breezing past Sweden's Jonas Bjorkman 6-2, 6-3.
Henman's former Davis Cup team mate Greg Rusedski, however, lost 6-4, 6-2 to Russian Mikhail Youzhny.
In a battle of former French Open champions, Spain's Carlos Moya brushed past Argentina's Gaston Gaudio 6-1, 6-4.
The tournament moved into top gear on Tuesday when world number one Roger Federer and French Open champion Rafael Nadal were scheduled to return to action for the first time since the Wimbledon final.
Federer will open his account against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu while Nadal takes on Chile's Nicolas Massau.
Monday’s results:
First round: Julien Benneteau (France) beat 10-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 5-7, 6-2, 6-3; 5-James Blake (US) beat Philip Bester (Canada) 6-4, 6-1; Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) beat Gilles Simon (France) 6-4, 6-2; Carlos Moya (Spain) beat Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) 6-1, 6-4; Sebastien Grosjean (France) beat Florent Serra (France) 6-3, 6-2; Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) beat Robert Kendrick (US) 6-4, 6-4; 13-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat Daniel Nestor (Canada) 6-4, 7-5; Tim Henman (Britain) beat Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) 6-2, 6-3; Thomas Johansson (Sweden) beat Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 5-7, 6-4, 6-3; Richard Gasquet (France) beat Fabrice Santoro (France) 6-4, 6-3; Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) beat Greg Rusedski (Britain) 6-4, 6-2; Davide Sanguinetti (Italy) beat 3-David Nalbandian (Argentina) 6-1, 6-2; 15-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Robin Soederling (Sweden) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; Jose Acasuso (Argentina) beat Bjoern Phau (Germany) 7-5, 7-6 (20-18); 4-Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) beat Nicolas Almagro (Spain) 7-5, 6-1; Frank Dancevic (Canada) beat Peter Polansky (Canada) 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.
LOS ANGELES: Former champion Amy Frazier made an early exit at the Los Angeles Open on Monday, losing 6-2, 6-4 to fellow American Jill Craybas in the opening round.
Frazier, making her 16th appearance in the tournament she won in 1994, was blown away in the first set but fought back in the second to 4-5 after trailing 1-3.
Both players struggled to hold serve in breezy conditions at the Home Depot Center and the match ended when Frazier double-faulted then netted a forehand after a long rally.
In other first-round matches, American Ashley Harkleroad beat Chinese qualifier Meng Yuan 6-4, 7-6, German Julia Schruff edged Bulgarian Tatiana Poutchek 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 and Argentine Mariana Diaz-Oliva beat US qualifier Lilia Osterloh 7-6, 7-6.
Russian Maria Sharapova, who won the Acura Classic in San Diego on Sunday, is the top seed and gets a bye into the second round where she will meet compatriot Anastassia Rodionova.
Results:
First round: Jill Craybas (US) beat Amy Frazier (US) 6-2, 6-4; Mariana Diaz Oliva (Argentina) beat Lilia Osterloh (US) 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4); Bethanie Mattek (US) beat Kveta Peschke (Czech Republic) 6-4, 6-4; Elena Vesnina (Russia) beat Vasilisa Bardina (Russia) 6-2, 5-2 — Bardina retired; Ashley Harkleroad (US) beat Meng Yuan (China) 6-4 7-6(4); Julia Schruff (Germany) beat Tatiana Poutchek (Belarus) 5-7, 6-3, 6-3; Vania King (US) beat Severine Bremond (France) 6-1, 3-3 — Bremond retired; Mara Santangelo (Italy) beat Ahsha Rolle (US) 6-3, 6-1; Anastassia Rodionova (Russia) beat Melinda Czink (Hungary) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5; Virginia Ruano (Spain) beat Sybille Bammer (Austria) 6-4, 6-3; Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) beat Jelena Kostanic (Croatia) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1; Akiko Morigami (Japan) beat Olga Savchuk (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-2; Paola Suarez (Argentina) beat Marta Domachowska (Poland) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.—Reuters
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