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| March 01, 2007 | Thursday | Safar 11, 1428 |
Nadal, Davydenko and Haas advance at Dubai Open
DUBAI, Feb 28: Defending champion Rafael Nadal rallied to beat Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 in a rust-shaking, first-round match at the Dubai Open on Tuesday.
Third-seeded Nikolay Davydenko, fifth-seeded Tommy Haas, coming off Sunday's win in Memphis, and No. 7 Novak Djokovic were also winners.
Nadal, playing his first match since the Australian Open quarter-finals, was broken in the first game by Baghdatis, who was all energy and initial confidence after reaching two finals this month.
Nadal rebounded in the second set by breaking Baghdatis twice for 2-1, when the Cypriot double-faulted, and 5-2 leads. In the third, the Spaniard broke in the third game and then won on his second match point.
Davydenko beat Moroccan veteran Younes El Aynaoui 6-7 (2), 7-5, 7-5.
Haas improved his career-best start to a year to 14-2 when he defeated Czech wild card Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-3. Djokovic beat Kristof Vliegen of Belgium 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, and Robin Soderling of Sweden downed eighth-seeded David Ferrer 7-6 (13), 6-1 for a fourth successive time.
Other first-round winners included Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, who won his third career title in Rotterdam on Sunday, Gilles Simon of France, Rainer Schuettler of Germany and Daniele Bracciali of Italy.
Results(x denotes seeding):
First round: Nikolay Davydenko (RUS x3) bt Younes El Aynaoui (MAR) 6-7 (2/7), 7-5, 7-5; Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) bt Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3; Daniele Bracciali (ITA) bt Oliver Marach (AUT) 6-4, 6-3; Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) 6-4, 6-4; Robin Soderling (SWE) bt David Ferrer (ESP x8) 7-6 (15/13), 6-1; Rainer Schuttler (GER) bt Andreas Seppi (ITA) 6-0, 7-6 (7/5); Novak Djokovic (SCG x7) bt Kristof Vliegen (BEL) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Rafael Nadal (ESP x2) bt
Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; Tommy Haas (GER x5) bt Radek Stepanek (CZE) 6-4, 6-3.
GERMAN STARLET CHOKES IN QATAR
DOHA: Seventh seeded Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany was dumped out by Ukraine's Kateryna Bondarenko in the first round of the 1.34 million dollar Qatar Open on Tuesday.
Fifth seeded Patty Schnyder, however, survived a three set battle against promising Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai before winning 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.
Schnyder will take on Anabel Medina Garrigues in the second round after the Spaniard beat American Meghann Shaughnessy 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Bondarenko, who came through the qualifiers, made Groenefeld pay the penalty for playing an error-ridden match and set up a possible second round clash with Indian Sania Mirza who is doubtful for the second round after pulling out of her doubles match because of a knee injury.
Meanwhile, 2005 runner-up Alicia Molik advanced to the second round when her Japanese rival Ai Sugiyama retired with a foot injury in the third set with the scores reading 0-6, 6-2, 3-1 in the Aussie's favour.
Results:
First round: Anabel Medina Garrigues (ESP) bt Meghann Shaughnessy (US) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; Kateryna Bondarenko (UKR) bt Anna-Lena Groenefeld (GER x7) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3; Alicia Molik (AUS) bt Ai Sugiyama (JPN) 0-6, 6-2, 3-1 retired; Eleni Danilidou (GRE) bt Selima Sfar (TUN) 6-0, 6-3; Maria Kirilenko (RUS) bt Anne Kremer (LUX) 6-1, 6-2; Patty Schnyder (SWI x 6) bt Aravane Rezai (FRA) 6-2, 2-6, 6-2; Maria Elena Camerin (ITA) bt Alona Bondarenko (UKR) 6-3, 6-4; Julia Goerges (GER) bt Agnes Szavay (HUN) 6-2, 6-3.
CALLERI, GAUDIO AND BARTOLI ADVANCE
ACAPULCO (Mexico): Luis Horna's defence of his Abierto Mexicano title lasted only two games when he had to retire hurt against fifth-seeded Gaston Gaudio in the first round on Tuesday.
Horna, who won his first career title here a year ago and his second this month in Chile, pulled up with a right leg injury while serving at 1-1.
For Gaudio, the win ended a string of seven straight opening-round losses dating to October, including five this year. The former French Open champion hadn't won a match since the US Open second round last September. He'll face Argentine countryman Juan-Pablo Guzman in the second round.
In women's play, top-seeded Marion Bartoli of France overcame a sluggish start to defeat her compatriot Camille Pin 7-6 (7), 6-2 in the first round. Bartoli was surprised when Pin took a 5-0 lead in the first set but managed to fight back to 5-5. From there, Bartoli forced a tiebreaker and didn't look back.
Results:
Men (first round): Gaston Gaudio (ARG x5) bt Luis Horna (PER) 1-1 retired; Stefano Galvani (ITA) bt Jan Hajek (CZE) 6-3, 6-2; Nicolas Almagro (ESP x3) bt Mariano Zabaleta (ARG) 6-3, 6-4; Diego Hartfield (ARG) bt Hugo Armando (US) 6-4, 7-6 (7/4); Agustin Calleri (ARG x2) bt Alberto Martin (ESP) 6-3, 6-2; Nicolas Massu (CHI x6) bt Juan Monaco (ARG) 7-6 (7/4), 7-5; Jose Acasuso (ARG x7) bt Albert Montanes (ESP) 6-0, 7-5; Carlos Moya (ESP x8) bt Bruno Echagaray (MEX) 6-3, 6-4; Oscar Hernandez (ESP) bt Fernando Vicente (ESP) 6-2, 7-5; Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo (ESP) bt Santiago Gonzalez (MEX) 6-4, 6-3; Lukas Dlouhy (CZE) bt Alessio Di Mauro (ITA) 6-3, 6-2.
Women (first round): Marion Bartoli (FRA x1) bt Camille Pin (FRA) 7-6 (9/7), 6-2; Severine Bremond (FRA x4) bt Ekaterina Dzehalevich (BLR) 7-6 (7/5), 6-4; Gisela Dulko (ARG x6) bt Jenifer Widjaja (BRA), 6-2, 6-2; Alize Cornet (FRA) bt Iveta Benesova (CZE) 7-6 (7/2), 4-6, 6-3; Tathiana Garbin (ITA x2) bt Rossana De Los Rios (PAR) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4; Martina Muller (GER x3) bt Jill Craybas (US) 6-4, 6-3; Flavia Pennetta (ITA x5) bt Lourdes Dominguez Lino (ESP) 6-3, 6-3; Sara Errani (ITA) bt Sybille Bammer (AUT x7) 6-2, 7-6 (8/6); Melissa Torres Sandoval (MEX) bt Nicole Pratt (AUS x8) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3; Eva Birnerova (CZE) bt Greta Arn (GER) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2; Roberta Vinci (ITA) bt Ashley Harkleroad (US) 6-3, 6-3; Zsofia Gubacsi (HUN) bt Klara Zakopalova (CZE) 5-7, 7-5, 6-1. —Agencies
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