Date:15/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/15/stories/2008031556992100.htm

Sport - Tennis

Tursunov gets past Becker

INDIAN WELLS: Russian Dmitry Tursonov, at No. 37 the highest ranked man in action on Thursday, advanced with a 7-6(4), 6-3 victory over Germany’s Benjamin Becker in the first round of the Pacific Life Open.

Belgium’s Xavier Malisse, trying to rebound from a right wrist injury that dropped him to No. 350, beat France’s Florent Serra 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-0.

The day also produced a rarity when Italy’s Fabio Fognini and Germany’s Rainer Schuettler, a pair of lucky losers, met in a match, with Fognini winning 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Those two were called upon when Canada’s Frank Dancevic and Colombia’s Alejandro Falla withdrew because of injuries. Lucky losers hadn’t met in the first round in a tour event since the Thailand Open in September.

Israel’s Sela Dudi had a mild upset, beating Germany’s Nicolas Kiefer 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3. In other matches, Bjorkman beat Italy’s Filippo Volandri 6-3, 7-6 (5) and Soderling topped France’s Sebastien Grosjean 6-3, 6-3.

On the distaff side, American Vania King rallied from 3-0 down in the final set to beat Luxembourg’s Anne Kremer 4-6, 6-3, 6-4. “I changed my strategy in the second set,” King said. “I was running her a lot in the first set, but she was moving really well and putting me on the defensive. I tried to mix it up a little more and go at her, make her play more of an all-court game.”

The results: First round: Men: Hyung-taik Lee bt Michael Llodra 6-2, 6-3; Dudi Sela bt Nicolas Kiefer 6-4, 6-7(4), 6-3; Andreas Seppi bt Paul Capdeville 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-2; Stanislas Wawrinka bt Jesse Levine 7-5, 4-6, 6-4; Jonas Bjorkman bt Filippo Volandri 6-3, 7-6(5); Santiago Giraldo bt Werner Eschauer 7-6(5), 6-4; Robin Soderling bt Sebastien Grosjean 6-3, 6-3; Olivier Rochus bt Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-4; Xavier Malisse bt Florent Serra 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-0; Dmitry Tursunov bt Benjamin Becker 7-6(4), 6-3; Marc Gicquel bt Potito Starace 6-4, 6-3; Fabio Fognini bt Rainer Schuettler 2-6, 6-3, 6-3; Robby Ginepri bt Vince Spadea 6-1, 6-1; Wayne Odesnik bt Igor Kunitsyn 2-6, 7-6(3), 6-3.

Women: Gisela Dulko bt Julie Ditty 0-6, 6-3, 6-3; Elena Vesnina bt Hsieh Su-Wei 6-4, 4-6, 6-4; Aravane Rezai bt Camille Pin 7-5, 6-2; Casey Dellacqua bt Olga Poutchkova 6-1, 6-1; Kaia Kanepi bt Martina Müller 6-3, 6-2; Chan Yung-Jan bt Iveta Benesova 2-6, 6-2, 6-4; Ioana Raluca Olaru bt Yuan Meng 6-4, 6-4; Angelique Kerber bt Ekaterina Bychkova 6-1, 6-2; Alla Kudryavtseva bt Bethanie Mattek 6-2, 6-1; Galina Voskoboeva bt Pauline Parmentier 7-5, 6-3; Evgeniya Rodina bt Anastasia Pivovarova 6-4, 6-3; Greta Arn bt Sabine Lisicki 6-3, 0-6, 6-4; Julia Schruff bt Catalina Castaño 7-6(2), 6-3; Vania King bt Anne Kremer 4-6, 6-3, 6-4; Ahsha Rolle bt Madison Brengle 6-2, 6-2; Melanie Oudin bt Maret Ani 7-5, 6-2. — Agencies