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MEMPHIS (Tennessee), Feb 26: Champion Tommy Haas easily won his opening match in the Memphis Championships on Monday, defeating Argentine Diego Hartfield 6-3, 6-2, while Lindsay Davenport made a successful debut at the tournament with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over German teenager Sabine Lisicki.
The third-seeded Haas won his 11th consecutive match in the tournament and converted five of 10 break points in avenging a loss to Hartfield at Delray Beach earlier this month.
Seventh-seed Juergen Melzer of Austria also advanced in the men’s draw with a 6-7, 6-3, 7-6 victory over American John Isner.
Melzer saved one match point in the final service game before winning in the third set tie-break.
Isner, who was battling the flu, suffered his second consecutive loss after holding match points.
In the women’s draw, former world No 1 and fourth-seeded Davenport avenged a Fed Cup loss to Lisicki with a powerful service game.
Davenport served 10 aces, including three consecutively in her first service game and took advantage of Lisicki’s seven double faults, five of which were in the second set.
Fifth-seeded Olga Govortsova of Belarus also advanced on Monday with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over American Mashona Washington.
Men’s second seed James Blake, however, withdrew with a knee injury and was replaced in the draw by compatriot Sam Warburg.
Women’s top seed Venus Williams was slated to begin the defence of her title against Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
Monday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):
Men’s singles:
First round: 3-Tommy Haas (Germany) bt Diego Hartfield (Argentina) 6-3, 6-2; Alejandro Falla (Colombia) bt Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-4, 6-2; 7-Juergen Melzer (Austria) bt John Isner (US) 6-7 (8-10), 6-3, 7-6 (7-4); Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) bt Paul Capdeville (Chile) 6-3, 6-1; Chris Guccione (Australia) bt Robert Kendrick (US) 7-6 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5); Florent Serra (France) bt Marcos Daniel (Brazil) 6-1 6-2.
Women’s singles:
First round: 4-Lindsay Davenport (US) bt Sabine Lisicki (Germany) 7-5, 6-3; Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia) bt Brenda Schultz-McCarthy (Netherlands) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2; Stephanie Dubois (Canada) bt Vania King (US) 6-2, 2-6, 6-1; Amber Liu (US) bt Yuliana Fedak (Ukraine) 6-4, 6-3; Julia Goerges (Germany) bt Lilia Osterloh (US) 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3); 5-Olga Govortsova (Belarus) bt Mashona Washington (US) 6-4, 6-2; Melinda Czink (Hungary) bt Olga Poutchkova (Russia) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Evgeniya Rodina (Russia) bt Anastasiya Yakimova (Belarus) 7-5, 6-4; Michelle Larcher de Brito (Portugal) bt Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (France) 7-5, 1-0 – Cohen-Aloro retired.
SHARAPOVA PULLS OUT
DUBAI: Russia’s Maria Sharapova has pulled out of the $1.5 million Dubai Open citing a viral illness.
The Australian Open champion, who also won in Doha last week, is unbeaten in 2008 and had been scheduled to play her first match in Dubai on centre court in Tuesday’s evening session.
“Unfortunately I have been battling a virus for several days and it’s reached a point where I’m unable to compete,” the world No 5 said in a statement.
“This is really disappointing to me, but I do intend to come back to Dubai next year and hopefully have a great tournament.”
Meanwhile, world No 2 Ana Ivanovic is confident she can recover from an ankle injury in time to compete in the championship.
The Australian Open runner-up withdrew from the Qatar Open last week after falling during her second round match. However, after intensive treatment, the Serb was ready to take to the practise court on Monday.
Third seed Ivanovic has a bye into the second round where she will face either Czech Nicole Vaidisova or a qualifier.
In the first round, eighth seed Elena Dementieva of Russia saved two set points before overcoming Swiss left-hander Patty Schnyder 7-5, 6-0.
Russian Dinara Safina beat Tunisian wild card Selima Sfar 6-1, 6-3 but her compatriot Maria Kirilenko fell 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 to Australian Open doubles champion Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine.
Results:
First round: 8-Elena Dementieva (Russia) bt Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) 7-5, 6-0; Dinara Safina (Russia) bt Selima Sfar (Tunisia) 6-1, 6-3; Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) bt Maria Kirilenko (Russia) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.—Reuters
