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MADRID, Oct 19: Tommy Haas rolled into the second round of the 2.425-million-euros Madrid Masters on Tuesday, still holding fond memories of his 2001 week as a champion when the event was held for the last time at home in Germany.
Haas, storming to a comeback this season after missing all of 2003 with shoulder surgery, crushed frequent practise partner Xavier Malisse 6-4, 6-1 taking his record in that series against his friend to 5-2.
In another opening match at the Rockodromo, American Taylor Dent got past Russia's Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-2. Spain's Fernando Verdasco hammered Swedish veteran Jonas Bjorkman 6-1, 6-2.
Spain's teenage Davis Cup hero Rafael Nadal steamed to an easy 6-2 6-1 victory over Italian Davide Sanguinetti.
Nadal dominated a stale-looking Sanguinetti with relentless precision, shaking off a slight blip when he lost his serve at 4-0 in the second set to complete an impressive victory.
The day's showcase was to be the evening appearance of second seed Andre Agassi, the 2002 champion at the inaugural edition in the Spanish capital of an event which was moved from its longtime venue in Stuttgart.
Haas appropriately ended the run at home by lifting the 2001 trophy - one of seven during his career.
With German tennis in a trough since the Becker-Graf era, tournaments in one of the former hotbeds of the sports are dropping fast.
In addition to Stuttgart's move in 2002 to tennis-mad Madrid, the Berlin women's event was sold this summer to other interests, meaning it will not be played in the new federal capital.
Haas recalls the good old days.
"As a German player, it's a little bit sad that the tournament's not in Stuttgart any more. I always enjoy a home crowd," said the 26th-ranked player, now 32-19 on the season with titles in Houston and Los Angeles.
"Most of us German players actually have our best results and play our best tennis on this kind of court surface."
While Haas lamented the loss of a German tournament, he's not complaining about the ambience and organisation in Spain. "It's a very nice place, I think it's a great event. I'm glad to be in the second round."
First round results:
Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) beat Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-4; Rafael Nadal (Spain) bt Davide Sanguinetti (Italy) 6-2 6-1; Taylor Dent (U.S.) bat Mikhail Youzhny (Russia) 6-3 6-2; Tommy Haas (Germany) bt Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 6-4 6-1; Fernando Verdasco (Spain) bt Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) 6-1 6-2.
Venus avenges
ZURICH: Venus Williams avenged her controversial exit from this year's Wimbledon tournament with a 6-2 6-2 victory over Croatia's Karolina Sprem at the Zurich Challenge on Tuesday.
Williams's win marked the first meeting between the two players since June's grand slam encounter in which Sprem was helped to victory by a bizarre umpiring mistake.
On that occasion, the 19-year-old Croatian benefited from an extra point wrongly awarded by umpire Ted Watts during a second set tiebreak.
Watts was later suspended for the remainder of the tournament.
There was no controversy on Tuesday, however, as the former world number one brushed aside the rising Croatian with relative ease.
Prowling the baseline for most of the match, the seventh seed broke Sprem's serve twice in each set while comfortably holding her own service games, wrapping up victory in just 54 minutes.
Williams's success was particularly welcome news for the Zurich tournament's organisers following the withdrawal world number two Amelie Mauresmo on Tuesday.
The Frenchwoman pulled out of the $1.3 million tournament after failing to recover from a thigh injury.
She is the third big name to withdraw from the Zurich tournament in the last four days after new world number one Lindsay Davenport and fellow American Serena Williams also opted out.
Originally boasting nine of the world's top 10 players, the Zurich draw had already been depleted when Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne were forced to call a premature end to their seasons through injury and illness.
"It's really bad luck," said the tournament's Andre Glauser. "But I also think the WTA has to work much better at getting a minimum of top 10 players to attend Tier I events such as this.
"To lose two or three players is normal... but to lose six out of 10 is a bit too much."
Following the latest no-shows, Russian world number five Elena Dementieva is top seed in a lineup which also includes fellow Russian and Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova.
First round results:
Venus Williams (U.S.) bt Karolina Sprem (Croatia) 6-2 6-2; Nadia Petrova (Russia) bt Lisa Raymond (U.S.) 6-4 6-3; Paola Suarez (Argentina) bt Jelena Kostanic (Croatia) 6-3 3-6 6-4; Ai Sugiyama (Japan) bt Shinobu Asagoe (Japan) 6-2 6-3; Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) bt Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) 1-6 6-1 6-4.-Agencies
