The Hindu : Sport : Moya reels in Fish with ease

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport

Moya reels in Fish with ease

SAILING ALONG: Carlos Moya had it easy against Mardy Fish in the ATP Masters Series in Hamburg. - PHOTO: AP

HAMBURG: Spain's Carlos Moya needed just an hour to book his place in the second round of the Hamburg Masters with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over American Mardy Fish on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old Moya, French Open champion in 1998, served impeccably and moved his opponent around the clay court with absolute command to seal victory in exactly 60 minutes.

After rattling through the first set, Moya made the crucial break in the second for a 4-3 lead and held easily to leave Fish on the brink.

The American saved four match points, but could do nothing when Moya took the contest on his fifth opportunity with a back-hand return that flashed across his opponent.

Moya advances to face Czech 10th seed Thomas Berdych in the second round.

Safin advances

Meanwhile on Monday, former World No. 1 Marat Safin moved smoothly into the second round.

The Russian beat Nicolas Massu of Chile 7-6, 6-4.

The only seed to fall on the first day was Marcos Baghdatis, who was beaten 7-5, 6-3 by Germany's Philipp Kohlschreiber and even that was not much of a surprise. Kohlschreiber, the improving 23-year-old, beat the Cypriot in straight sets in the semifinals in Munich earlier this month before going on to win his first ATP title.

Meanwhile in Rome, the two seeds involved in first round action at the Italian Open on Monday both came through their first round matches.

Slovakian ninth seed Daniela Hantuchova fought back from a set down to beat Aravane Rezai of France 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, while Russian 10th seed Elena Dementieva strolled to a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Italy's Maria Elena Camerin.

French top seed Amelie Mauresmo, who as one of the top eight seeds was given a first round bye, is looking for her third Italian Open title in four years.

But the reigning Wimbledon champion is short of match fitness having had a two-month lay-off following an operation for appendicitis.

Mauresmo won in Rome in 2004 and 2005, but was forced to withdraw last year due to illness.

The results:

At Hamburg (ATP Masters Series): First round:

Carlos Moya bt Mardy Fish 6-0, 6-3; Jarkko Nieminen bt Tobias Summerer 6-1, 7-6(5); Oscar Hernandez bt Benjamin Becker 6-3, 6-7(2), 6-3;Marat Safin bt Nicolas Massu 7-6(7), 6-4; David Ferrer bt Jonas Bjorkman 6-4, 3-6, 6-2; Philipp Kohlschreiber bt Marcos Baghdatis 7-5, 6-3.

Juan Ignacio Chela bt Guillermo Canas 6-1, 4-6, 6-1; Juan Monaco bt Dominik Hrbaty 6-2, 6-2; Nicolas Almagro bt Martin Verkerk 6-1, 6-3.

At Rome (WTA Italian Open): First round:

Elena Dementieva bt Maria Elena Camerin 6-1, 6-2; Shahar Peer bt Agnieszka Radwanska 6-0, 2-0 retd.; Karolina Sprem bt Eleni Danilidou 3-6, 6-4, 6-3; Daniela Hantuchova bt Aravane Rezai 4-6, 6-1, 6-2; Michaella Krajicek bt Olga Poutchkova 6-1, 6-2; Tamira Paszek bt Nicole Pratt 6-7(1), 6-0, 6-2. — Agencies

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