Date:18/08/2004 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2004/08/18/stories/2004081804581700.htm

Sport - Tennis

Hewitt sails into second round

WASHINGTON, AUG. 17. Lleyton Hewitt breezed to a 6-1, 6-2 win over Kenneth Carlsen on Monday night in the first round of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic.

Hewitt took control of the second set when the Dane double-faulted giving Hewitt the deciding break and a 3-2 lead.

``He's the kind of guy that can get into a lot of tiebreaks and make life difficult for you,'' Hewitt said. ``To come back and break, whether he hit a double fault or if I got back and hit a winner, I was going to be happy.''

Hewitt will face Colombian Alejandro Falla, who rallied to beat American Justin Gimelstob 3-6, 6-4, 6-3.

Other seeded players to advance on Monday were No. 4 Robby Ginepri of the United States, who advanced with a 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3 win over 2000 champion Alex Corretja of Spain. Eighth-seeded Dmitry Tursunov of Russia beat Olivier Patience of France 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

Gilles Muller of Luxembourg also advanced, beating third-seeded Sjeng Schalken of the Netherlands, 6-1, 0-1 after Schalken retired because of fatigue after the first game of the second set.

In an earlier first-round match, Raemon Sluiter of the Netherlands beat American Todd Martin, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5), in a match that lasted nearly three hours.

At Mason (Ohio), Marlene Weingartner beat Emmanuelle Gagliardi, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to advance to the second round of the Western & Southern Women's Open.

In other first round matches, fourth-seed Marion Bartoli of France beat Russia's Maria Kirilenko, 6-3, 6-3, Rita Grande of Italy defeated France's Virginie Razzano, 6-1, 6-2, and Mashona Washington beat fellow American Marissa Irvin 6-2, 6-4.

The results:

At Washington (Legg Mason Classic): Gilles Muller bt Sjeng Schalken 6-1, 0-1, retd; Raemon Slutier bt Todd Martin 6-7 (5), 7-6 (3), 7-6 (5); Lleyton Hewitt bt Kenneth Carlsen 6-1, 6-2; Alejandro Falla bt Justin Gimelstob 3-6, 6-4, 6-3; Robby Ginepri bt Alex Corretja 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-3; Dmitry Tursunov bt Olivier Patience 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.

At Mason (Western & Southern Women's Open): Marlene Weingartner bt Emmanuelle Gagliardi 6-3, 3-6, 6-2; Marion Bartoli bt Maria Kirilenko 6-3, 6-3; Rita Grande bt Virginie Razzano 6-1, 6-2. — AP