Date:05/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/05/stories/2008030560372100.htm

Sport - Tennis

Nadal struggles past Kohlschreiber

DUBAI: Rafael Nadal struggled before finally beating Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 on Tuesday to reach the second round at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The second-ranked Spaniard said the fast surface and the difficult draw made things hard on him. “Sure, it was a tough match,” said Nadal, who lost in the second round last month in Rotterdam. “You play the first round like you’d play a quarterfinals.”

The results: At Dubai (Dubai Open): First round: Novak Djokovic bt Marin Cilic 6-4, 6-3; Tomas Berdych bt Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-2; Paul-Henri Mathieu bt Joseph Sirianni 6-4, 6-4; Mikhail Ledovskikh bt Mahmoud Nader 6-1, 6-1; Rafael Nadal bt Philipp Kohlschreiber 3-6, 6-1, 6-4; Feliciano Lopez bt Janko Tipsarevic 6-3, 4-6, 6-4; Olivier Rochus bt Jarkko Nieminen 6-1, 6-2.

At Las Vegas (Tennis Channel Open): 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