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Tennis
Hewitt, Kuerten knocked out in sensational first round
By Nirmal Shekar
MELBOURNE, JAN. 15. The King departed on Monday without striking a ball in competition. The Man-who-would-be-King followed him on a dramatic afternoon at Melbourne Park here on Tuesday. And, somewhere in between, a high ranking member of the royalty turned his back on the Australian Open tennis championship too.
A Spanish foot soldier with a taste for drama. A French journeyman without any regard for reputation. A much- celebrated wrist that's time and again produced believe-it-or-not stuff like a magician's wand.
Blame them all you like. But Alberto Martin and Julien Boutter were heroes rather than villains, and the famous Andre Agassi wrist could hardly be blamed for playing up on the eve of a Grand Slam championship.
Then again, if some would like to think of them as villains, then so be it. The point is, they combined in a bizarre sequence over the first two days here to create history and make a lot of people wonder if there is any member of the royal clan left to add a touch of regal splendour to the event the rest of the way.
Indeed, Alberto Martin's spectacular victory over the top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt - the Spaniard won 1-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7- 6(4) in three hours and 33 minutes - in the first round today, about 36 hours after the defending champion and third-seeded Agassi's withdrawal because of a wrist injury - something that registered a good eight on tennis' Richter scale - and 24 hours after Julien Boutter's 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-3 defeat of Gustavo Kuerten, the second-seeded Brazilian who was struggling with a hip injury, meant that the second round of the men's championship would be played without the top three seeds.
If Hewitt's loss brought up the first time that a top seed had been beaten in this championship in the Open Era (post- 1968), then the last time that the top two seeds lost in the first round of a Grand Slam was at the French Open in 1990, when both Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker failed to get past the first hurdle.
The moment you think of Hewitt, what comes to mind is not so much a tennis court as a boxing ring. The fight is the man. Sweat, blood and guts, the in-your-face attitude...these are things that define the man who made such a spectacular climb to the No. 1 spot late last season.
As quick as that ascent was, nothing comes easy for Hewitt on the court. He has had to tear open his chest time and again, put his heart on display in public and run a million miles on the court to get where he is. He is the sport's first blue collar champion since Jim Courier.
Yet, the point about being a fighter is, you can only fight as much as your body allows you to. And, Hewitt has not had enough time to fully recover from the chicken pox infection that felled him two weeks ago.
What is more, the man who raised glorious visions of this great event finding its first home-grown champion in 26 years - the last was Mark Edmondson and he won it at a time when the event was almost all-Australian - could not have found a more resolute man across the net from him in the first round than Alberto Martin.
Rebounding with tremendous courage and skills after being routed in the first set, Martin, a 23-year old from Barcelona who is something of a bull rather than a matador when it comes to his appearance, nevertheless showed the finesse and authority of one of Ernest Hemingway's cape wielding heroes when pushed to the wall.
``I am not superman,'' said a disappointed Hewitt, pulling the peak of his cap down in an attempt to avoid eye contact at the post match conference. ``I was not 100 per cent today. I had problems with my legs. And my game is built on my strength and my legs.''
After three and a half hours of drama, the match witnessed an unusual break before the climax as Martin took injury time out when leading 5-4 in the fourth set tiebreak to have the trainer Bill Norris attend to his right hamstring.
The Spaniard came back and promptly won the next two points on Hewitt's serve as the Australian made two forehand errors which added up to a match total of 66 unforced errors.
So, where does that leave us? Who is left in the palace with the departure of the King and the Prince?
Well, remember a guy called Pete Sampras? Surely, the Great Emperor is very much in business here as he coasted to a 6- 3, 6-3, 6-4 first round victory over Jarkko Nieminen of Finland today.
On Monday, Kuerten's loss stretched the Brazilian's nightmarish streak of early defeats at this tournament. In six appearances here, the three-time French champion has failed to get past the second round.
For Boutter, it was his finest victory in a major event. He has never got past the second round of any Grand Slam in his career so far but if he can play as well as he did in the last three sets of the match against Kuerten, he can go far here.
The 27-year old Frenchman from Metz served smart bombs and hit with a freedom of spirit from the back of the court that was quite in contrast to the plight of his Brazilian opponent who, with a care-worn expression on his face, seemed to have lost the plot late in the third set.
Serena pulls out
Meanwhile, Serena Williams withdrew from the championship because of an ankle injury a few hours before her scheduled first round match against Conchita Martinez of Spain.
Meanwhile, India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes, winners of three Grand Slam titles and finalists here in 1999, have been seeded No. 3 and drawn to play Julian Knowle of Austria and Michael Kohlmann of Germany in the first round.
The world beating Indian pair is in the same half as the top seeds Jonas Bjorkman of Sweden and Todd Woodbridge of Australia.
The results:
Tuesday's results: Men's singles (first round): Wayne Ferreira (RSA) bt Jan-Michael Gambill (USA) 6-2, 6- 4, 7-6 (8/6); Andrei Pavel (Rom) bt Franco Squillari (Arg) 6-4, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Xavier Malisse (Bel) bt Tomas Behrend (Ger) 6-4, 6-4, 7-5; David Nalbandian (Arg) bt Daniel Vacek (Cze) 7-6 (7-0), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3; Jean-Francois Bachelot (Fra) bt Stefano Galvani (Ita) 6-2, 7-5, 7-5; Rainer Schuettler (Ger) bt Paul-Henri Mathieu (Fra) 2-6, 6-1, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4; Attila Savolt (Hun) bt Olivier Patience (Fra) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4; Roger Federer (Swi) bt Michael Chang (USA) 6-4, 6-4, 6-3; Albert Costa (Spa) bt Felix Mantilla (Spa) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-4; Pete Sampras (USA) bt Jarkko Nieminem (Fin) 6-3, 6-3, 6-4; Michel Kratochvil (Swi) bt Fernando Meligeni (Bra) 6-4, 6-1, 6-2; Alexandre Simoni (Bra) bt Ota Fukarek (Cze) 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-7 (3/7), 7-5; Tommy Haas (Ger) bt Andrei Stoliarov (Rus) 6-1, 6-3, 6-1; Marcelo Rios (Chi) bt Jaymon Crabb (Aus) 6-2, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4.
Women's singles (first round): Magui Serna (Spa) bt Amanda Grahame (Aus) 6-3, 6-3; Cindy Watson (Aus) bt Jose Martinez (Spa) 6-3, 6-3; Ai Sugiyama (Jpn) bt Rachel McQuillan (Aus) 6-7 (9/7), 6-3, 6-3; Eleni Daniilidou (Gre) bt Rita Kuti Kis (Hun) 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4; Justine Henin (Bel) bt Anna Kournikova (Rus) 6-2, 7-5; Tina Pisnik (Slo) bt Marin Bartoli (Fra) 6-3, 4-6, 9-7; Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Swi) bt Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) 6-1, 6-7 (9/7), 8-6; Conchita Martinez (Spa) bt Lina Krasnoroutskaya (Rus) 3-6, 6-3, 2-0 (retd.); Antonella Serra Zanetti (Ita) bt Elena Bovinia (Rus) 6-2, 6-2; Bryanne Stewart (Aus) bt Jana Nejedly (Can) 6-4, 6-4; Rita Grande (Ita) bt Clarissa Fernandez (Arg) 7-6 (7/4), 6-4; Meilen Tu (USA) bt Joannette Kruger (RSA) 7-6 (7/2), 6-0; Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) bt Yoon Jeong Cho (Kor) 6-3, 2-6, 6-4; Jennifer Capriati (USA) bt Silvija Talaja (Cro) 6-4, 6-1; Kristie Boogert (Ned) bt Gloria Pizzichini (Ita) 6-3, 6-3; Maria Elena Camerin (Ita) bt Saori Obata (Jpn) 7-5, 6-4; Amelie Mauresmo (Fra) bt Janet Lee (Tpe) 6- 1, 6-0; Tatiana Panova (Rus) bt Alicia Molik (Aus) 1-6, 6-3, 10- 8; Kim Clijsters (Bel) bt Christina Wheeler (Aus) 6-2, 6-1.
Monday's results:
Men's singles (first round): Younes El Aynaoui (Mor) bt Jiri Vanek (Cze) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; Jiri Novak (Cze) bt Nicolas Kiefer (Ger) 6-1, 6-0, 6-4; Yevgeny Kafelnikov (Rus) bt Michael Kohlmann (Ger) 6-3, 6-3, 6-2; Tim Henman (Gbr) bt Todd Larkham (Aus) 7-5, 6-2, 6-2; Adrian Voinea (Rom) bt David Sanchez (Spa) 5-7, 6-2, 7-6, 6-2; Markus Hipfl (Aut) bt Nikolay Davydenko (Rus) 6-1, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Vladimir Voltchkov (Blr) bt Cecil Mamiit (USA) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; Thomas Johansson (Swe) bt Jacobo Diaz (Spa) 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4; Kristian Pless (Den) bt Max Mirnyi (Blr) 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-3; Julien Boutter (Fra) bt Gustavo Kuerten (Bra) 3-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-3; Thomas Enqvist (Swe) bt Nicolas Thomann (Fra) 2-6, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2; Francisco Clavet (Spa) bt Martin Lee (Gbr) 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-0; Fernando Vicente (Spa) bt Kenneth Carlsen (Den) 2-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 10-8; Guillermo Canas (Arg) bt Paradorn Srichaphan (Tha) 6-1, 6-1, 6-4; Jonas Bjorkman (Swe) bt Nicolas Massu (Chi) 6-4, (retd.); Sebastien Grosjean (Fra) bt Juan Balcells (Spa) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6, (7/5), 7-6 (7/2); Hicham Arazi (Mor) bt Ivo Heuberger (Swi) 6-4, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (7/1).
Women's singles (first round): Amanda Coetzer (RSA) bt Miriam Oremans (Ned) 6-1, 6-1; Nuria Llagostera Vives (Spa) bt Jana Kandarr (Ger) 6-0, 6-1; Daja BedaNova (Cze) bt Tatiana Poutchek (Blr) 6-1, 6-2; Mariana Diaz-Oliva (Arg) bt Cristina Torrens Valero (Spa) 7-5, 6-4; Kveta Krdlickova (Cze) bt Shinobu Asagoe (Jpn) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Martina Sucha (Svk) bt Gala leon Garcia (Spa) 1-6, 6-2, 6-4; Nathalie Dechy (Fra) bt Sandrine Testud (Fra) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3; Cara Black (Zim) bt Emilie Loit (Fra) 7-5, 6-3; Asa Svensson (Swe) bt Evie Dominikovic (Aus) 6-3, 6-2; Jill Craybas (USA) bt Mary Pierce (Fra) 4-0 (retd.); Monica Seles (USA) bt Patty Schnyder (Swi) 6-1, 6-2; Tathiana Garbin (Ita) bt Marissa Irvin (USA) 6-0, 6-3; Magdaleena Maleeva (Bul) bt Marie- Galane Mikaelian (Swi) 6-3, 6-4; Kristina Brandi (USA) bt Ludmila CervaNova (Svk) 6-3, 4-6, 6-0; Rossana Neffa-De Los Rios (Par) bt Elena Tatarkova (Ukr) 6-3, 6-2; Venus Williams (USA) bt Ansley Cargill (USA) 6-2, 6-2; Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) bt Maja Matevzic (Slo) 6-3 6-1; Greta Arn (Ger) bt Samantha Stosur (Aus) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2; Francesca Schiavone (Ita) bt Aniko Kapros (Hun) 4-6, 6-3, 8- 6; Bianka Lamade (Ger) bt Celine Beigbeder (Fra) 5-7, 7-5, 6-2; Jennifer Hopkins (USA) bt Irina Selyutina (Kaz) 6-2, 0-6, 6-2; Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spa) bt Bahia Mouhtassine (Mor) 6-2, 4- 6, 6-1; Barbara Schett (Aut) bt Andrea Glass (Ger) 6-2, 6-4; Barbara Rittner (Ger) bt Eva Bes (Esp) 6-3, 6-4; Anne Kremer (Lux) bt Denisa Chladkova (Cze) 6-3, 6-4; Lisa Raymond (USA) bt Seda Noorlander (Ned) 6-0, 6-1; Silvia Farina Elia (Ita) bt Lilia Osterloh (USA) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Amy Frazier (USA) bt Henrieta Nagyova (Svk) 7-5, 6-4; Adriana Serra Zanetti (Ita) bt Virginia Ruano Pascual (Spa) 6-2, 2-6, 7-5; Martina Hingis (Sui) bt Virginie Razzano (Fra) 6-2, 6-2; Jelena Kostanic (Cro) bt Samantha Reeves (USA) 6-0, 6-7 (8/6), 6-3.
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