February 20, 2008	Wednesday	Safar 12, 1429

ROTTERDAM (Netherlands), Feb 19: Holder Mikhail Youzhny made a shock first-round exit at the World Indoor Tournament on Monday, losing 7-6, 6-4 to unseeded Serb Janko Tipsarevic.

The fourth-seeded Russian broke serve in the fifth game but Tipsarevic hit back to level before taking the tiebreak 7-3.

Youzhny, who routed world No 2 Rafael Nadal 6-0, 6-1 in last month’s Chennai Open final, also dropped his serve in the first game of the second set as his opponent took command from the baseline.

Former world No 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero was also beaten 7-5, 6-1 by Russian qualifier Teimuraz Gabashvili.

The seventh seed from Spain, now ranked 20th in the world, had little answer to No 132 Gabashvili.

Monday’s defeat followed Ferrero’s second-round exit at last week’s Marseille Open.

Unseeded Croatian Ivo Karlovic thumped 12 aces as he went through with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Olivier Rochus of Belgium.

Monday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

First round: Mischa Zverev (Germany) bt

Philipp Kohlschreiber (Germany) 7-5, 7-5; Janko Tipsarevic (Serbia) bt 4-Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4; Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) bt Olivier Rochus (Belgium) 6-1, 6-2; Teimuraz Gabashvili (Russia) bt 7-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) 7-5, 6-1; Michael Berrer (Germany) bt Matthias Bachinger (Germany) 6-3, 6-2.

MAURESMO THROUGH

DOHA: Amelie Mauresmo emerged from a potentially difficult first round match at the Qatar Open with a 7-6, 6-3 win over Germany’s Sabine Lisicki.

Mauresmo has slipped out of the top 20 following a poor run of form that began 11 months ago after she underwent an emergency appendectomy.

The 14th seed from France held a set point at 6-5 but netted a routine return before taking the set on a tiebreak. Then, after losing an early break in the second, she broke Lisicki from 40-0 to lead 4-3.

Russia’s Nadia Petrova is another top player who is struggling of late, with only three wins in her seven matches coming into the Qatar Open.

Her troubles continued on Monday when the number 10 seed retired with a stomach upset after losing the first set 6-2 and when leading the second 2-1 against Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues.

Monday’s results:

First round: Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) bt Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 6-4, 6-3; Maria Kirilenko (Russia) bt Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 6-3, 5-7, 6-0; Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) bt 10-Nadia Petrova (Russia) 6-2, 1-2 – Petrova retired; Galina Voskoboeva (Russia) bt Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) 6-1, 7-6 (8-6); Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) bt Angelique Kerber (Germany) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4; Yaroslava Shvedova (Russia) bt Zheng Jie (China) 6-4, 4-6, 6-1; 14-Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 7-6 (7-2), 6-3; Virginie Razzano (France) bt Sun Tiantian (China) 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (7-2), 6-3; Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) bt Chan Yung-jan (Taiwan) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; Yan Zi (China) bt Vera Dushevina (Russia) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2; 15-Sybille Bammer (Austria) bt Aiko Nakamura (Japan) 6-1, 6-3; 12-Shahar Peer (Israel) bt Andreja Klepac (Slovenia) 6-3, 6-4; Monica Niculescu (Romania) bt Julie Ditty (US) 6-1, 6-4; 16-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) bt Akiko Morigami (Japan) 7-5, 6-0; Vera Zvonareva (Russia) bt Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) 6-0, 6-3.

MELZER OUSTED

SAN JOSE (California): Fourth seeded Radek Stepanek was the highest-ranked player to advance to the second round of the San Jose Open on Monday, the Czech easing to a 7-6, 6-1 victory over Chile’s Paul Capdeville.

Eighth seeded Kristof Vliegen of Belgium also advanced with 6-4, 7-6 victory over Romania’s Victor Hanescu but Juergen Melzer suffered the first upset of the tournament, the number six seed falling 6-2, 6-7, 7-6 to Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

American wild card Jesse Levine, a former hitting partner of world No 1 Roger Federer, overcame Steve Darcis of Belgium 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 to earn a second round encounter against second seed James Blake.

Fifth seed Lee Hyung-taik of Korea pulled out of the tournament with a back injury and was replaced by Wayne Odesnik, who overcame fellow American Donald Young 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.

American Andy Roddick is the tournament’s top seed.

Monday’s results:

First round: John Isner (US) bt Florent Serra (France) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; Wayne Odesnik (US) bt Donald Young (US) 6-1, 5-7, 6-4; Jesse Levine (US) bt Steve Darcis (Belgium) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4; Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spain) bt 6-Juergen Melzer (Austria) 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (8-6); 4-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) bt Paul Capdeville (Chile) 7-6 (7-2), 6-1; Bobby Reynolds (US) bt Benedikt Dorsch (Germany) 7-5, 6-4; 8-Kristof Vliegen (Belgium) bt Victor Hanescu (Romania) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4).—Reuters