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SYDNEY, Jan 7: Jennifer Capriati’s preparations for next week’s Australian Open were halted abruptly on Tuesday when she was beaten by Russian Tatiana Panova in the second round of the Sydney International.
Capriati, playing her first match of the year after receiving a first-round bye, blew a one-set lead in going down 4-6 6-4 7-5 to leave her without another competitive match before she begins her Australian Open defence next week.
In the men’s event, French Open winner Albert Costa and defending Sydney champion Roger Federer also suffered unexpected defeats.
Costa was bundled out by Argentine Juan Ignacio Chela 7-6 6-1 while world number six Federer lost to qualifier Franco Squillari 6-2 6-3.
Federer was hampered by a leg problem which he said would require immediate treatment but would not stop him playing the first grand slam of the year.
Last year’s Australian Open runner-up Marat Safin was untroubled in brushing aside Olivier Rochus 6-1 6-4 while former world number one Carlos Moya had to dig deep into his vast reserves before finally seeing off a determined James Blake 6-3 6-7 6-3.
Blake, fresh from his victory over current world number one Lleyton Hewitt in the final of the Hopman Cup, saved three match points in the tiebreak to force the match into a third set, but could not raise his game again as Moya seized control.
Capriati also lost her first match in Sydney last year before going on to win her second Australian Open title in an epic final with Martina Hingis.
Results
MEN: Andy Roddick bt Tommy Robredo 6-2 6-2; Paradorn Srichaphan bt Scott Draper 6-4 3-6 6-1; Marat Safin bt Olivier Rochus 6-1 6-4; Carlos Moya bt James Blake 6-3 6-7 (8-6) 6-3; Franco Squillari bt Roger Federer 6-2 6-3; Juan Ignacio Chela bt Albert Costa 7-6 (7-4) 6-1; Max Mirnyi bt Xavier Malisse 7-6 (7-5) 6-7 (5-7) 6-3; Lee Hyung-taik bt Nicolas Lapentti 6-2 6-0; Mardy Fish bt Richard Krajicek 7-6 (7-0) 6-4; Nikolay Davydenko bt Raphael Durek 6-3 6-4; Mikhailo Youzhny bt Adrian Voinea 3-6 2-1 retired; Rainer Schuettler bt Ivan Ljubicic 6-2 7-6 (7-1)
Women’s first round: Chanda Rubin bt Elena Dementieva 6-3 7-5; Janette Husarova bt Anna Kournikova 6-4 2-6 6-1; Lisa Raymond bt Eleni Daniilidou 6-4 4-6 6-3; Alexandra Stevenson bt Lubomira Kurhajcova 7-6 (7-5) 6-4
Second round: Tatiana Panova bt Jennifer Capriati 4-6 6-4 7-5; Daniela Hantuchova bt Tamarine Tanasugarn 7-6 (7-2) 6-1
TASMANIAN RESULTS
HOBART (Australia): Results of second round matches in the Tasmanian International women’s tennis tournament on Tuesday:
Vera Zvonareva bt Sarah Taylor 6-2 6-0; Alicia Molik bt Katarina Srebotnik 6-3 6-0; Iveta Benasova bt Cara Black 6-4 6-4; Amy Frazier bt Tathiana Perebiynis - walkover; Elena Likhovtseva bt Rossana Neffa De Los Rios 5-7 6-3 6-1; Jill Graybas bt Cristina Torrens Valero 6-4 7-5; Angelika Roesch bt Petra Mandula 6-3 6-1
NALBANDIAN SHOCKED
AUCKLAND, Jan 7: Second seed David Nalbandian, Wimbledon finalist last year, went out in the first round of the Auckland Open to fellow Argentine Mariano Zabaleta on Tuesday.
Results:
Jiri Novak bt Robert Kendrick 6-2 6-3; Fernando Gonzalez bt Feliciano Lopez 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-2; Robby Ginepri bt Agustin Calleri 7-6 (7-5) 7-5; Raemon Sluiter bt Davide Sanguinetti 6-3 6-3; Guillermo Coria bt David Sanchez 2-6 6-2 6-4; Mariano Zabaleta bt David Nalbandian 2-6 7-6 (7-3) 6-3; Michael Russell bt Radek Stepanek 7-6 (7-4) 6-4; Gustavo Kuerten bt Martin Verkerk 7-6 (7-5) 6-4; Stefan Koubek bt Mark Nielsen 6-3 6-2
CANBERRA RESULTS
CANBERRA: Results from the Canberra Classic women’s tennis tournament on Tuesday:
First round: Marlene Weingartner bt Nathalie Dechy 5-0 (retired); Meghann Shaughnessy bt Virginie Razzano 6-3 6-2
Second round: Adriana Serra Zanetti bt Saori Obata 6-4 6-1; Magui Serna bt Anca Barna 7-6 (7-5) 7-5; Francesca Schiavone bt Tatiana Garbin 7-6 (8-6) 6-2.—Agencies
