The Hindu : Sport : Sluggish Safin succumbs to Kiefer

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

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Sport

Sluggish Safin succumbs to Kiefer

THE SCUD ON TARGET: Mark `Scud' Philippoussis in action against Tomas Behrend at the Tennis Channel Open on Tuesday. — AP

DUBAI, FEB. 23. Marat Safin, playing his first match since winning the Australian Open three weeks ago, was beaten on Tuesday in the opening round of the $1 million (euro760,000) Dubai Open, eliminated by Germany's Nicolas Kiefer 7-6(2), 6-4.

Safin looked sluggish and was admittedly uncomfortable against the 30th-ranked Kiefer.

Kiefer ``was playing the kind of game that doesn't give you any sort of rhythm,'' the second-seeded Russian said. ``Chipping and charging, slicing and spinning and changing the power.''

Meanwhile in doubles, Mahesh Bhupathi and Todd Woodbridge defeated Olivier Rochus of Belgium and Petr Pala of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-2 in the first round.

Martinez through

Conchita Martinez on Tuesday rallied from a set down to beat Roberta Vinci of Italy 5-7, 6-0, 6-2 and reach the second round of the $600,000 (euro454,785) Qatar Open.

Arthurs upsets Dent

Second-seeded Vince Spadea outlasted qualifier Bobby Reynolds 1-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(2) on Tuesday in the first round of the Tennis Channel Open, fighting off two match points in the second set.

In another match, Australia's Mark Philippoussis lost a set before beating Germany's Tomas Behrend 7-5, 1-6, 6-4

Moya beats Lapentti

Defending champion and top seed Carlos Moya defeated Ecuador's Nicolas Lapentti 6-4, 7-6(4) on Tuesday in the first round of the Mexican Open.

The results:

At Dubai (Dubai Men's Open): First round: Nicolas Kiefer bt Marat Safin 7-6(2), 6-4; Mikhail Youzhny bt Thomas Johansson 7-6(3), 6-1; Tim Henman bt Greg Rusedski 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4; Lee Hyung-taik bt Robin Soderling 7-5, 6-4.

Feliciano Lopez bt Paradorn Srichaphan 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Igor Andreev bt Marco Chiudinelli 6-3, 7-5; Nikolay Davydenko bt Fabrice Santoro 6-3, 6-0.

At Doha (Qatar Open): First round: Patty Schnyder bt Li Na 7-5, 3-6, 7-5; Daniela Hantuchova bt Magdalena Maleeva 4-6, 6-4, 6-3; Gisela Dulko bt Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.

Nicole Pratt bt Salima Safr 7-5, 6-2; Maria Kirilenko bt Lucie Safarova 6-3, 6-1; Ai Sugiyama bt Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-3; Conchita Martinez bt Roberta Vinci 5-7, 6-0, 6-2.

At Scottsdale (ATP Tennis Channel Open): First round: Wayne Arthurs bt Taylor Dent 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(4); Mario Ancic bt Brendan Evans 3-6, 6-2, 6-3; Glenn Weiner bt Frank Dancevic 6-4, 7-6(4); Kevin Kim bt Horia Tecau 6-3, 6-2; Davide Sanguinetti bt Michael Kohlmann 6-4, 6-7(2), 6-3; Mark Philippoussis bt Tomas Behrend 7-5, 1-6, 6-4; Janko Tipsarevic bt Jan-Michael Gambill 6-4, 6-2; Vince Spadea bt Bobby Reynolds 1-6, 7-6(4), 7-6(2); Paul Goldstein bt Donald Young 6-3, 6-1; James Blake bt Kenneth Carlsen 7-6(9), 7-5.

At Acapulco (ATP & WTA Mexican Open): Men: First round: Filippo Volandri bt Mariano Zabaleta , 6-2, 7-6(8); Oscar Hernandez bt David Sanchez 6-4, 6-2; Rafael Nadal bt Alex Calatrava 6-4, 6-4; Alberto Martin bt Jiri Vanek 6-0, 2-6, 7-6(7); Nicolas Devilder bt Jose Acasuso 6-4, 6-4; Felix Mantilla bt Miguel Gallardo Valles 6-1, 6-1; David Ferrer bt Ricardo Mello 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Tomas Zib bt Gaston Gaudio 2-6, 7-5, retd.; Carlos Moya bt Nicolas Lapentti 6-4, 7-6(4).

Women: First round: Mariana Diaz-Oliva bt Maria Emilia Salerni 7-6(5), 6-3; Marissa Irvin bt Tina Pisnik 6-1, 6-2; Antonella Serra Zanetti bt Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-2, 6-1; Catalina Castano bt Julie Ditty 6-1, 7-6(7); Arantxa Parra bt Erica Krauth 6-3, 6-7(9) 7-6(9); Tatiana Perebiynis bt Lubomira Kurhajcova 7-5, 6-3; Alina Jidkova bt Rosa Maria Andres Rodriguez 6-0, 6-2; Severine Beltrame bt Agnes Szavay 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.

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