February 21, 2008	Thursday	Safar 13, 1429

ROTTERDAM (Netherlands), Feb 20: Second seed Nikolay Davydenko of Russia cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 first-round win over Czech qualifier Jan Hernych at the World Indoor Tournament on Tuesday.

Spaniard David Ferrer, seeded three, also advanced with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Italy’s Simone Bolelli but eighth-seeded Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis was beaten 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 by Swede Robin Soderling.

Dutchman Raemon Sluiter, who said he would retire when his involvement in this tournament ended, bowed out as he lost 6-1, 7-6 to Michael Llodra of France.

Tuesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

First round: 2-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) bt Jan Hernych (Czech Republic) 6-3, 6-3; Michael Llodra (France) bt Raemon Sluiter (Netherlands) 6-1, 7-6 (8-6); 3-David Ferrer (Spain) bt Simone Bolelli (Italy) 6-4, 7-5; Robin Soederling (Sweden) bt 8-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Gilles Simon (France) bt Feliciano Lopez (Spain) 6-3, 6-4; Nicolas Mahut (France) bt Tommy Robredo (Spain) 7-5, 6-4.

TOUGH ENCOUNTER

DOHA: Olga Govortsova of Belarus was handed a second-round clash against top seed Ana Ivanovic when Indian opponent Sania Mirza was forced to retire with a cramp in the third set of their match on Tuesday.

Govortsova, the world No 50, lost the opening set 6-4 and saved two match points in the second before taking it 7-5 in a tiebreak.

She went 3-2 up in the third when Sania called a halt to the match.

Marion Bartoli, seeded eight, suffered a 6-2, 6-3 defeat by 17-year-old Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in the second round, continuing her run of indifferent results since she reached the 2007 Wimbledon final. Agnes Szavay of Hungary, seeded 13, was beaten 7-6, 6-0 by Japan’s Ai Sugiyama in the first round.

There were first-round victories for ninth seed Patty Schnyder of Switzerland, who beat Austrian teenager Tamira Paszek 6-4, 6-0, and 11th-seeded Russian Dinara Safina, who defeated Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia 6-2, 6-4.

Tuesday’s results:

Second round: Vera Zvonareva (Russia) bt 17-Francesca Schiavone (Italy) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4; Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) bt 8-Marion Bartoli (France) 6-2, 6-3.

Blake advances

SAN JOSE (California): Second seed James Blake waltzed into the second round of the San Jose Open with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Sam Warburg on Tuesday. Blake played a consistent, heady match, dominating the court with his forehand and impressive returns.

Tuesday’s results:

First round: Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) bt Max Mirnyi (Belarus) 7-6 (7-4), 5-7, 6-2; 2-James Blake (US) bt Sam Warburg (US) 6-3, 6-1; Mardy Fish (US) bt Tim Smyczek (US) 6-3, 6-4; Denis Gremelmayr (Germany) bt 7-Sam Querrey (US) 5-7, 7-6 (7-1), 6-3; Robby Ginepri (US) bt Jesse Witten (US) 6-2, 5-7, 6-4; Benjamin Becker (Germany) bt Marcos Daniel (Brazil) 6-1, 3-0 – Daniel retired.—Reuters