February 29, 2008	Friday	Safar 21, 1429

MEMPHIS (Tennessee), Feb 28: Twice defending champion Tommy Haas was knocked out of the Memphis International on Wednesday, losing 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 to fellow German Benjamin Becker.

Haas, who also won the tournament in 1999, lost his serve four times to end his 11-match winning streak at the event. He underwent shoulder surgery in November but had appeared to be in fine form in his first-round match.

Top-seeded American Andy Roddick won his first-round match in the evening session, downing hard-serving Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-4, 7-6.

Fourth seed Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic beat Florent Serra of France 7-6, 2-6, 7-5 and eighth seed Robin Soderling of Sweden, the 2006 finalist, defeated Canadian qualifier Frederic Niemeyer 6-2, 6-1. Seventh seed Jurgen Melzer of Austria was upset by Steve Darcis of Belgium 6-3, 7-6.

In the women’s draw, former world number one and fourth seed Lindsay Davenport of the US fired 11 aces to beat Russian Evgeniya Rodina 6-1, 6-1 in just 51 minutes.

Davenport will next meet sixth seed Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, a 6-2, 6-4 winner over 15-year-old Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal.

Third seed Shahar Peer of Israel also advanced, overcoming Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-0, 3-6, 6-2. She will play qualifier Marina Erakovic of New Zealand, a 7-5, 6-3 winner over American wild card Amber Liu.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men:

First round: 1-Andy Roddick (US) bt Gilles Muller (Luxembourg) 6-4, 7-6(4); 8-Robin Soederling (Sweden) bt Frederic Niemeyer (Canada) 6-2, 6-1.

Second round: Benjamin Becker (Germany) bt 3-Tommy Haas (Germany) 3-6, 6-2, 7-5; Steve Darcis (Belgium) bt 7-Juergen Melzer (Austria) 6-3, 7-6(4); 4-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) bt Florent Serra (France) 7-6, 2-6, 7-5.

Women:

Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia) bt Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-1; Julia Goerges (Germany) bt Bethanie Mattek (US) 6-4, 6-3; 4-Lindsay Davenport (US) bt Evgeniya Rodina (Russia) 6-1, 6-1; 3-Shahar Peer (Israel) bt Melinda Czink (Hungary) 6-0, 3-6, 6-2; Marina Erakovic

(New Zealand) bt Amber Liu (US) 7-5, 6-3; 6-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) bt Michelle Larcher de Brito (Portugal) 6-2, 6-4.

HENIN STRUGGLES

DUBAI: Justine Henin needed three hours to overcome plucky Slovenian qualifier Katarina Srebotnik, preserving her unbeaten record at the Dubai Open with a 7-5, 6-7, 6-3 victory on Wednesday.

Despite the length of the match, the top seeded Belgian was never in danger of losing the match, instead four times coming within two points of victory in the second set tiebreak before losing it 8-6.

Srebotnik did everything well, making few unforced errors and rallying on equal terms with Henin.

The Belgian needed seven set points to secure the first set, led 3-1 in the second before Srebotnik levelled at 3-3, and she remained under pressure in the third as Srebotnik held two break points to lead 3-2.

Only when Henin survived that threat and broke for 4-2 with an exquisite crosscourt backhand did the probable outcome become clear.

Henin failed to convert two match points on Srebotnik’s serve at 5-2, before serving out for her 17th consecutive Dubai victory.

Jelena Jankovic was also stretched to the limit before edging past India’s Sania Mirza, the fourth-seeded Serb needing two hours 14 minutes to win 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. Jankovic faced defeat when Sania held three break points to lead 5-3 in the final set.

Sixth-seed Anna Chakvetadze also survived a strong challenge before winning 6-7, 6-4, 6-3 against fellow Russian Dinara Safina, but two other Russians advanced easily.

Second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova beat Czech Lucie Safarova 6-1, 6-2 and eighth seed Elena Dementieva defeated Ukraine’s Alona Bondarenko 6-2, 6-1.

Third seeded Serb Ana Ivanovic showed no sign of her recent ankle injury as she defeated Czech Nicole Vaidisova 6-4, 6-0, and Amelie Mauresmo earned a confidence-boosting 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Japan’s Akiko Morigami.

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

Results:

Second round: 3-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia) bt Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) 6-4, 6-0; 1-Justine Henin (Belgium) bt Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 7-5, 6-7, 6-3; 8-Elena Dementieva (Russia) bt Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1; Francesca Schiavone (Italy) bt Sybille Bammer (Austria) 6-3, 6-2; Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt Akiko Morigami (Japan) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4; 4-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) bt Sania Mirza (India) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; 6-Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) bt Dinara Safina (Russia) 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3; 2-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) bt Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) 6-1, 6-2.—Agencies