The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Soderling surprises Nalbandian

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Soderling surprises Nalbandian

HAMBURG: David Nalbandian, the ninth-seeded Argentine whom many believe is more than talented enough to win a clay court Grand Slam, slipped to a surprise defeat on the second day of the Masters Series.

The former Wimbledon finalist was beaten 7-6, 7-5 by Robin Soderling, a 20-year-old Swede pushing towards the top 30 but whose hard-hitting game appeared to be more suited to a livelier surface.

However, Soderling mixed flat-hitting aggression and good serving with sufficient consistency in slow, heavy conditions not at all suited to a policy of concerted attack, and made it work.

A sense of the unusual was created early on when a huge storm, which brought massive hailstones down on to the centre court, required a 15-minute delay while the roof was drawn across.

But that did not stop Soderling, who claimed he had been practising in Sweden in snow and temperatures even lower then Hamburg's single figures.

``I think I serve very well,'' he said. ``It got a little bit quicker when we got the roof on, and it helped me to play (well).

Federer moves up

Earlier on Monday, top-ranked Federer won his first match after a three-week injury lay-off, but some of his main challengers left the tournament.

Second-seeded Andy Roddick was upset in the opening round by Nicolas Massu of Chile 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-5, Rafael Nadal — the ATP Tour's hottest player — pulled out and seventh-seeded Carlos Moya withdrew citing a shoulder injury.

Nadal, who battled for more than five hours to capture the Rome Masters from Guillermo Coria, said he had aggravated a blister in his left hand. ``It's a blister I got in the quarterfinals in Rome and now it's a cut,'' Nadal said. ``I couldn't risk making it worse, although I really wanted to play here.''

The Spanish teenager, riding a 17-match winning streak, could have become the first player to win all three clay-court Masters Series titles after also winning in Monte Carlo last month.

But a rest will give Nadal ample time to prepare for his inaugural French Open, which starts in two weeks.

Federer won 6-4, 6-3 against Spain's Fernando Verdasco, who had beaten Roddick in the third round at Rome. Fifth-seeded Tim Henman beat Lars Burgsmuller of Germany 6-3, 6-4, and No. 11 Joachim Johansson became the first seeded player to exit, losing 6-1, 6-4 to Sebastien Grosjean of France.

Dechy ousted

At Rome, 10th-seeded Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy was a first round casualty at the Rome Masters. She lost to Italy's Maria Elena Camerin.

Ranked 16th in the world, Dechy, a semifinalist at the Australian Open, lost 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 as Camerin delighted the home crowd at the Foro Italico with a hard-fought victory.

The results:

At Hamburg (Hamburg Masters): First round: Robin Soderling bt David Nalbandian 7-6 (10-8), 7-5; Fernando Gonzalez bt Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-4; Tomas Berdych bt David Ferrer 6-2, 2-6, 6-3; Mariano Puerta bt Olivier Rochus 4-6, 6-1, 6-3; Juan Monaco bt Igor Andreev 6-2, 6-7 (5-7), 6-1; Nicolas Massu bt Andy Roddick 7-6(4), 4-6, 7-5; Roger Federer bt Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 6-3; Richard Gasquet bt Ivo Karlovic 6-1, 1-0, retd.; Gustavo Kuerten bt Andrei Pavel 6-2, 6-1; Ivan Ljubicic bt Luis Horna 6-3, 6-3; Radek Stepanek bt Cyril Saulnier 7-6(5), 6-2; Mario Ancic bt Florian Mayer 6-1, 6-2; Greg Rusedski bt Philipp Petzschner 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-3; Mikhail Youzhny bt Karol Beck 6-3, 6-2; Juan Ignacio Chela bt Thomas Johansson 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Nicolas Kiefer bt Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-4, 6-3; Sebastien Grosjean bt Joachim Johansson 6-1, 6-4; Christophe Rochus bt Santiago Ventura 6-3, 6-2.

At Rome (Italian Open, WTA event): First round: Elena Bovina bt Mashona Washington 6-2, 6-2; Catalina Castano bt Tatiana Perebiynis 6-3, 6-2; Maria Elena Camerin bt Nathalie Dechy 4-6, 6-1, 6-4; Anna Chakvetadze bt Lubomira Kurhajcova 6-3, 3-6, 6-1; Paola Suarez bt Karolina Sprem 6-3, 6-0; Samantha Stosur bt Yuliana Fedak 6-3, 6-3; Francesca Schiavone bt Meghann Shaughnessy 7-5, 6-0; Anna-Lena Groenefeld bt Antonella Serra Zanetti 6-1, 6-2; Anabel Medina Garrigues bt Alina Jidkova 6-4, 6-1; Silvia Farina Elia bt Maria Kirilenko 6-4, 6-1; Jelena Jankovic bt Dally Randriantefy 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-1; Stephanie Cohen-Aloro bt Nathalie Vierin 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.

At Prague (Prague Open, WTA event): First round: Iveta Benesova bt Andrea Hlavackova 5-7, 6-3, 6-4; Jelena Kostanic bt Lilia Osterloh 6-3, 7-6(6); Henrieta Nagyova bt Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-2, 6-4; Yoon Jeong Cho bt Eleni Daniilidou 6-2, 6-4. — AP

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

Sport