Date:05/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/05/stories/2008030555741900.htm

Sport - Tennis

Murray masters Federer again

DUBAI: Andy Murray upset Roger Federer in the first round of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships on Monday, handing the top-ranked Swiss his second loss in a row. Murray rallied to win 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-4.

It was Federer’s first opening-round defeat in three years.

At Las Vegas, defending champion and second seed Lleyton Hewitt of Australia crushed Russian Marat Safin 6-2, 6-1 in the Tennis Channel Open first round on Monday.

The results: At Dubai (ATP Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships): First round: Nikolay Davydenko bt Mohd. Ghareeb 6-4, 6-0.

Richard Gasquet bt Dmitry Tursunov 6-4, 6-4; Andy Murray bt Roger Federer 6-7(6), 6-3, 6-4.

At Las Vegas (ATP Tennis Channel Open): First round: Lleyton Hewitt bt Marat Safin 6-2, 6-1; Robby Ginepri bt Xavier Malisse 2-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Sam Querrey bt Sebastien Grosjean 6-2, 4-6, 7-6(8); Evgeny Korolev bt Sergio Roitman 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

Nicolas Kiefer bt Benjamin Becker 6-4, 6-3; Guillermo Canas bt Thomas Johansson 6-3, 7-6(3). — Agencies