Date:17/10/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/10/17/stories/2007101755822000.htm

Sport - Tennis

Sania crashes out

ZURICH: India’s Sania Mirza was competitive against Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands for the first three games, but then lost nine straight games as Krajicek’s stronger serve and greater consistency in the rallies earned her a 6-1, 6-4 victory, in the first round of the Zurich Open here on Monday.

This is Sania’s second first-round exit in the last two tournaments, after her forgettable performance in the Kremlin Cup, where she had lost to Gisela Dulko of Argentina.

The Indian will hope to make amends in the doubles — she is partnering the left-handed Swiss Patty Schnyder here.

Safin out

Meanwhile, at the Madrid Masters, big-serving Ivo Karlovic took out mountain-climbing Russian Marat Safin as he bundled the 2004 champion out 6-3, 6-4. The 57-minute rout was signed and sealed by the powerful Croatian with his 17th ace, slightly below his running average of 20-plus per match.

The defeat leaves Safin sifting through the residue of his season. Just back a few weeks ago from a Tibetian climbing expedition, the 27-year-old may wish to be heading back up the mountain for contemplation. The number 36th has lurched to a miserable 2007 record at the Masters level, losing four times in opening matches and never advancing past the second round in eight attempts.

“My aim for this season is just to finish the year, that’s it,” said the disheartened Russian. “I don’t know where I will play next, as I need to ask for a wildcard.

“I just want to finish and start slowly preparing for 2008.”

Victory marked the ninth win in ten matches for the 24th-ranked Karlovic, who won the Stockholm Open at the weekend for his third title of the season on a different surface. He and Roger Federer are the only two men on the ATP who can claim that honour this season. Safin said that his expedition with a Russian team is now a part of his past.

“I enjoyed the mountain, it was the right thing to do,” he said of the September outing. “I’m rejuvenated as a person as well as a player. I would like to go back but there are no immediate plans.”

Former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis set up a second-round clash with Rafael Nadal after clinching a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 win over Romanian qualifier Andrei Pavel.

Fernando Verdasco breezed his way to a 6-1, 6-1 victory over fellow Spaniard Alberto Montanes and now faces third seed Novak Djokovic who won in Vienna over the weekend.

Croatia’s Mario Ancic cruised to a 6-4, 6-2 win over Marc Giquel of France.

The results: At Madrid (Madrid Masters): First round: Ivo Karlovic bt Marat Safin 6-3, 6-4; Nicolas Kiefer bt Stanislas Wawrinka 7-5, 6-3; Nicolas Almagro bt Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 6-4; Mario Ancic bt Marc Gicquel 6-4, 6-2; Marcos Baghdatis bt Andrei Pavel 6-3, 4-6, 6-1; Feliciano Lopez bt Filippo Volandri 6-3, 6-2; Fernando Verdasco bt Albert Montanes 6-1, 6-1.

At Zurich (Zurich Open): First round: Tatiana Golovin bt Maria Kirilenko 6-3, 6-4; Alona Bondarenko bt Timea Bacsinszky 1-6, 6-3, 6-3; Michaella Krajicek bt Sania Mirza 6-1, 6-4. — Agencies