The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Sharapova sizzles; Roddick eases past Gimelstob

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Thursday, Aug 30, 2007
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Sharapova sizzles; Roddick eases past Gimelstob

Marat Safin , Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic advance after easy wins

NEW YORK: Maria Sharapova shanked a backhand wide, prompting her opponent to leap in the air and pump her fist and smile as though she won the match — or, indeed, the U.S. Open.

Not quite. That little celebration by 51st-ranked Roberta Vinci of Italy was for winning one game on Tuesday, allowing her to narrow Sharapova’s lead to 6-0, 5-1.

‘I win one game, I’m happy,” Vinci said. “6-love, 6-love? No. 6-love, 6-1? OK.”

A few minutes and one hold of serve later, Sharapova’s 50-minute day was done and she was into the second round at the tournament where she produced her second Grand Slam title a year ago.

“There’s no way to get rid of the memories when I walk on the court and feel the vibe,” the second-seeded Russian said, 600 crystals on her red dress sparkling in the Arthur Ashe Stadium lights. “Every corner I turn here, I get goose bumps.”

Andy Roddick might very well have similar sentiments as he walks around the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. He did, after all, win the 2003 U.S. Open for his only major title, and he won his first-round match Tuesday night, following Sharapova on court and beating Justin Gimelstob 7-6(6), 6-3, 6-3.

It was the 30-year-old Gimelstob’s last match as a pro, and Roddick hugged him at the net afterward.

“We’re going to miss one of the funniest guys on tour,” Roddick said.

Out-hitting

Sharapova, meanwhile, compiled 15 winners before Vinci hit her first and finished with a 30-3 edge in that category during the 6-0, 6-1 victory. It was part of a mini-parade of past champions in first-round action, including victories for Martina Hingis, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Lleyton Hewitt.

Sharapova’s been on the wrong end of some routs at Grand Slam tournaments this year, including against Serena Williams in the Australian Open final and against Venus Williams in Wimbledon’s fourth round. And Sharapova, whose breakthrough came with the 2004 Wimbledon title at age 17, has been dealing with shoulder problems much of 2007.

No signs of that on Tuesday, although she did double fault twice on match point in the final game. Otherwise, about the biggest problem Sharapova had was when she missed a sip of water during a changeover and spilled a spot on her custom-made outfit.

Even Vinci took note of the getup, saying: “It’s difficult to play against her. Strong player. Nice girl. She has a nice dress.”

“It’s red this year, like the Big Apple, in honour of the city,” Sharapova told the crowd, before gathering her patent leather racket bag and black jewelled handbag and heading to the locker room.

“Put on a nice outfit, and some makeup, and you’re the bomb,” Sharapova noted later.

Sharapova’s good feelings from her U.S. Open title are still fresh, but it’s been a decade since Hingis won the tournament. This year, Hingis took a stroll around the new workout room and simply had to smile while scanning the enlarged photos decorating the walls.

There among the posters of previous champions is one of Hingis, clutching her 1997 silver trophy, a different player and a different person.

Hingis was willing to reminisce a bit after beating Mathilde Johansson of France 6-0, 6-3. Others winners included a man many consider a likely future Grand Slam champion, No. 3-seeded Novak Djokovic, and No. 6 James Blake. The day’s biggest early surprise came when No. 9 Daniela Hantuchova, a past U.S. Open quarterfinalist, was eliminated by 50th-ranked Julia Vakulenko of Ukraine 6-4, 3-6, 6-1.

Blake faced down a challenge from Michael Russell before advancing 7-6 (6), 6-3, 7-6 (4).

Djokovic raceed to 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 victory over Robin Haase of the Netherlands. — AP

Prefix denotes seeding

Men: First round: 25-Marat Safin (Rus) bt Frank Dancevic (Can) 7-5, 7-6(5), 7-6(7); Philipp Kohlschreiber (Ger) bt Mariano Zabaleta (Arg) 6-2, 6-2, 6-4; 11-Mikhail Youzhny (Rus) bt Nicolas Devilder (Fra) 6-0, 6-1, 6-2. 6-James Blake (U SA) bt Michael Russel (USA) 7-6(6), 6-3, 7-6(4); 16-Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) bt Amer Delic (USA) 6-2, 6-4, 6-2; 3-Novak Djokovic (Srb) bt Robin Haase (Ned) 6-2, 6-1, 6-3; 24-David Nalbandian (Arg) bt Ivan Navarro-Pastor (Esp) 7-5, 7-6(4), 7-6(6); 20-Juan Ignacio Chela (Arg) bt Michael McClune (USA) 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(0); 12-Ivan Ljubicic (Cro) bt Kristoff Vliegen (Bel) 6-1, 7-6(1), 6-1; Michael Llodra (Fra) bt 29-Filippo Volandri (Ita) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; 23-Juan Monaco (Arg) bt Eduard Roger-Vasselin (Fra) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5; Arnaud Clement (Fra) bt 32-Ivo Karlovic (Cro) 7-6(5), 6-4, 4-6, 6-7(6), 6-4; 15-David Ferrer (Esp) bt Florian Mayer (Ger) 6-3, 6-2, 6-3; Juan-Martin Del Potro (Arg) bt Nicolas Mahut (Fra) 6-0, 6-4, 6-2; Dudi Sela (Isr) bt Nicolas Lapentti (Ecu) 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 6-3.

Women: Second round: 5-Ana Ivanovic (Srb) bt Aravane Rezai (Fra) 6-3, 6-1; 19-Sybille Bammer (Aut) bt Meghann Shaughnessy (USA) 6-4, 6-3; Vera Dushevina (Rus) bt Ekaterina Bychkova (Rus) 6-4, 6-3; Ekaterina Makarova (Rus) bt 28-Ai Sugi yama (Jpn) 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. First round: 16-Martin Hingis (Sui) bt Mathilde Johansson (Fra) 6-0, 6-3; 2-Maria Sharapova (Rus) bt Roberta Vinci (Ita) 6-0, 6-1; 6-Anna Chakvetadze (Rus) bt Ashley Weinhold (USA) 6-1, 6-1; 24-Francisca Schia vone (Ita) bt Nathalie Dechy (Fra) 6-3, 6-1; 13-Nicole Vaidisova bt Alla Kudryavtseva (Rus) 6-1, 6-2; Julia Vakulenko (Ukr) bt 9-Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) 6-1, 3-6, 6-1; 18-Shahar Peer (Isr) bt Meilen Tu (USA) 6-4, 7-6(7); 32-Michaella Krajicek (Ned) bt Alberta Brianti (Ita) 6-2, 6-0; 11-Patty Schnyder (Sui) bt Iveta Benesova (Cze) 6-3, 6-0; 22-Katrina Srebotnik (Svk) bt Alicia Molik (Aus) 6-2, 6-2; Dominika Cibulkova (Svk) bt 23-Tatiana Garbin (Ita) 6-4, 6-3; 30-Agnieszka Radwanska (Pol) bt Akiko Morigami (Jpn) 6-2, 6-1.

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