The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Ivanisevic, Philippoussis crash out

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 09, 2004

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Ivanisevic, Philippoussis crash out

LONDON, JUNE 8. Former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic and last year's Wimbledon finalist, Mark Philippoussis, lost in the first round of the Queen's Club grass-court tournament on Tuesday.

Ivanisevic was beaten by Romanian Victor Hanescu 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4, while Philippoussis was upset by 866th-ranked Ian Flanagan of Britain 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3).

In other opening-round matches, No. 12 Robby Ginepri of the United States and No. 15 Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic won. Ginepri downed France's Cyril Saulnier 6-2, 6-1. Stepanek eliminated Raemon Sluiter 3-6, 6-1, 7-6.

Ivanisevic won Wimbledon as a wild card three years ago, but has been bothered by shoulder, elbow and knee injuries the last two years.

He ended 2003 ranked No. 654 and has won just two of 10 ATP tour matches in 2004, although his ranking has improved to 415. He needed a wild card for Queen's.

Ivanisevic's demeanor hasn't changed. He joked with a linesperson after a questionable call, jumped in joy following a game, kissed a TV camera and spoke with a ball girl during his match.

Ivanisevic hopes to receive a wild card for Wimbledon later this month before possibly retiring.

The Croatian had four double-faults in five points to give Hanescu the decisive break in the seventh game of the second set. Ivanisevic was broken in the same game of the third set.

Philippoussis, a loser to Roger Federer in last year's Wimbledon final, has slumped since a fourth-round showing at the Australian Open.

He's lost two Davis Cup ties and seven straight opening-round matches.

``I never felt comfortable from the start, and I don't think it really mattered who I played out there,'' the Australian said. ``It seemed like he served pretty well, and he hit his forehand pretty well, so hats off to him for that.

Philippoussis, who had 16 aces, said he plans to play three exhibition matches next week.

The results:

At Queen's Club (Stella Artois tournament): First round: Ian Flanagan bt Mark Philippoussis 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3); Robby Ginepri bt Cyril Saulnier 6-2, 6-1; Radek Stepanek bt Raemon Sluiter 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (5); Mario Ancic bt Jeff Morrison 6-3, 6-4; Karol Beck bt Gilles Elseneer 6-3, 6-4; Victor Hanescu bt Goran Ivanisevic 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-4.

Second round: Olivier Patience, France, def. Frank Dancevic, Canada, 6-3, 6-4.

Monday's results: First round: Olivier Patience bt David Ferrer 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4; Ivo Karlovic bt Jan-Michael Gambill 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (5); Jonathan Marray bt Christophe Rochus 6-3, 4-6, 7-5; Marc Lopez bt Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 1-6, 6-3; Antony Dupuis bt Julien Benneteau 6-4, 7-5; Frank Dancevic bt Arvind Parmar 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (5).

Nicolas Mahut bt Max Mirnyi 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-4; Jamie Delgado bt Taylor Dent 5-7, 7-5, 7-6 (3); Wesley Whitehouse bt Jan Vacek 7-6 (5), 6-3; Todd Reid bt Thierry Ascione 7-5, 6-3; Hyung-Taik Lee bt Greg Rusedski 3-6, 6-3, 6-4; Igor Andreev bt Richard Gasquet 7-6 (4), 7-6 (4); Karol Kucera bt John Van Lottum, Netherlands, 4-6, 6-1, 6-1; Lu Yen-hsun bt Wayne Arthurs 6-2, 6-4; Davide Sanguinetti bt Stefan Koubek 6-4, 6-4.

At Birmingham (DFS Classic): First round: Daniela Hantuchova bt Yoon Jeong Cho 6-3, 6-1; Virginia Ruano Pascual bt Maria Vento-Kabchi 6-2, 6-3; Akiko Morigami bt Stephanie Cohen-Aloro 6-2, 6-3; Tatiana Golovin bt Elena Likhovtseva 6-3, 2-0, retd.; Jill Craybas bt Claudine Schaul 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-1.

Second round: Alicia Molik bt Flavia Pennetta 7-6 (3), 6-4.

Monday's results: First round: Emilie Loit bt Jane O'Donoghue 6-4, 7-5; Anne Kremer bt Magui Serna 6-2, 6-2; Milagros Sequera bt Lina Krasnoroutskaya 3-6, 6-3, 6-0; Jamea Jackson bt Mara Santangelo 6-4, 6-2; Shinobu Asagoe bt Julia Vakulenko 6-2, 6-4; Arantxa Parra Santonja bt Katarina Srebotnik 6-3, 6-3; Saori Obata bt Maria Elena Camerin 6-1, 2-6, 6-3; Marie-Gayanay Mikaelian bt Jie Zheng 6-4, 1-6, 6-4; Tamarine Tanasugarn bt Alina Jidkova 1-6, 7-6 (2), 6-2; Jelena Jankovic bt Tatiana Perebiynis 7-5, 2-6, 6-4; Anca Barna bt Ana Ivanovic 6-4, 6-4; Flavia Pennetta bt Marion Bartoli 1-1, retd.; Kelly McCain bt Tina Pisnik 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Anne Keothavong bt Marta Marrero 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (4); Samantha Stosur bt Elena Baltacha 6-3, 6-2; Shenay Perry bt Barbora Strycova 6-3, 6-3.

At Halle (Gerry Weber Open): First round: Tommy Haas bt Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-4; Marco Chiudinelli bt Michel Kratochvil 6-2, 6-2; Mardy Fisch bt David Prinosil 6-4, 6-2; Sargis Sargsian bt Filippo Volandri 2-6, 6-2, 6-2; Arnaud Clement bt Alexander Waske 6-1, 6-4; Jiri Novak bt Ivan Ljubicic 6-2, 6-2; Kenneth Carlsen bt Michael Berrer 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5; Alexander Popp bt Andrei Pavel 1-6, 6-4, 6-4. — Agencies

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport