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MIAMI, March 22: American Michael Chang and Frenchman Cedric Pioline failed to recapture some of their old magic on Thursday as the two veterans crashed out in the opening round of the Nasdaq-100 Open Masters.
Chang’s miserable season continued as the former-French Open champion was eliminated in the first round for the seventh consecutive time with a heart-breaking 7-6 2-6 7-6 loss to Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan.
Victories have been nearly as rare for Pioline as he stumbled out in the opening round for the second time in the three tournaments he has entered this season dropping a tough 7-5 4-6 6-3 decision to Australia’s Mark Philippoussis, who has played just one event since the Australian Open.
Results:
MEN’S (first round) (prefix number denotes seeding):
Mark Philippoussis (Australia) beat Cedric Pioline (France) 7-5 4-6 6-3; Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) beat Michael Chang 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 7-6 (7-5); Jan Vacek (Czech Republic) beat Bohdan Ulihrach (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-2; Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) beat Christophe Rochus (Belgium) 6-1 6-2; James Blake (U.S.) beat Galo Blanco (Spain) 7-6 (7-4) 7-5; Franco Squillari (Argentina) beat David Nalbandian (Argentina) 2-6 6-3 6-4; Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) beat Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) 7-5 7-6 (8-6); Davide Sanguinetti (Italy) beat Stefan Koubek (Austria) 6-3 6-4; Jarkko Nieminen (Finland) beat Jose Acasuso (Argentina) 6-4 7-5; Fernando Vicente (Spain) beat Anthony Dupuis (France) 6-3 6-4; Albert Montanes (Spain) beat Attila Savolt (Hungary) 3-6 6-3 6-2; Lars Burgsmuller (Germany) beat Raemon Sluiter (Netherlands) 6-3 7-5; Luis Horna (Peru) beat Alberto Martin (Spain) 7-5 6-3; Andre Sa (Brazil) beat Kristian Pless (Denmark) 6-2 6-1; Max Mirnyi (Belarus) beat Irakli Labadze (Georgia) 6-1 7-5; Jeff Morrison (U.S.) beat Martin Verkerk (Netherlands) 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 6-4
WOMEN’S
Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) beat Anna Kournikova (Russia) 7-5 6-3; Conchita Martinez (Spain) beat Jennifer Hopkins (U.S.) 7-5 6-2; Anna Smashnova (Israel) beat Bianka Lamade (Germany) 6-4 6-1; Samantha Reeves (U.S.) beat Silvija Talaja (Croatia) 3-6 6-2 6-2; Paola Suarez (Argentina) beat Miriam Oremans (Netherlands) 5-7 6-4 6-2; Greta Arn (Germany) beat Amy Frazier (U.S.) 6-4 6-2; Kveta Hrdlickova (Czech Republic) beat Cory Ann Avants (U.S.) 6-1 6-1; Wynne Prakusya (India) beat Martina Sucha (Slovakia) 7-5 7-5; Marta Marrero (Spain) beat Selima Sfar (Tunisia) 6-2 6-2; Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) beat Tathiana Garbin (Italy) 6-4 6-1; Cara Black (Zimbabwe) beat Maja Matevzic (Slovenia) 6-0 6-4; Stephanie Foretz (France) beat Adriana Serra Zanetti (Italy) 6-4 6-3; Brie Rippner (U.S.) beat Petra Mandula (Hungary) 7-6 (7-0) 6-3; Tina Pisnik (Slovenia) beat Adriana Gersi (Czech Republic) 6-1 6-3; Martina Muller (Germany) beat Ashley Harkleroad (U.S.) 6-4 6-4; Marie-Gaiane Mikaelian (Switzerland) beat Janette Husarova (Slovakia) 6-4 7-5.—Reuters
