Date:30/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/30/stories/2008073056481900.htm

Sport - Tennis

Tommy Robredo avenges a defeat

Mason (U.S.): Twelfth-seeded Tommy Robredo, a winner two weeks ago on clay, picked up his hard-court game and beat nemesis Mardy Fish 6-2, 6-2 in the opening match of the Cincinnati Masters.

Robredo is 3-3 against Fish, including a loss in their previous meeting at the Australian Open in January. “He destroyed me in three sets,” Robredo said on Monday. “So I had to be very focussed from the beginning, and I think I did it.”

Defending champion Roger Federer, Wimbledon and French Open champion Rafael Nadal and the rest of the top eight seeded players all had first-round byes.

No. 16 seed Ivo Karlovic beat Thomaz Bellucci 6-3, 6-4, but the other two seeded players in action Monday were eliminated.

Tommy Haas beat No. 14 Mikhail Youzhny 7-6(2), 2-6, 6-4, and Tomas Berdych knocked off No. 13 Fernando Gonzalez of Chile, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

In an all-Russian evening match, Dmitry Tursunov beat Marat Safin 7-6(5), 6-4.

Bopanna-Cerretani lose

Meanwhile, Indian Davis Cupper Rohan Bopanna and his American partner James Cerretani crashed out of the doubles event after suffering a straight-sets defeat in the first round.

The Indo-American pair lost 6-7(5) 2-6 to Simon Aspelin of Sweden and Jamie Murray of Great Britain, in one hour and seven minutes on Tuesday.

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have got first round byes along with their respective partners.

Bartoli advances

At Montreal, Marion Bartoli of France overcame a sore thigh to defeat qualifier Melanie South of Britain 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-0 on Monday in the opening round of the Rogers Cup.

The results:

At Mason: Western & Southern Financial Group Masters: First round: Tommy Robredo bt Mardy Fish 6-2, 6-2; Ivo Karlovic bt Thomaz Bellucci 6-3, 6-4; Sam Querrey bt Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; Ernests Gulbis bt Jarkko Nieminen 7-6(7), 6-2; Andreas Seppi bt Feliciano Lopez 7-5, 7-5; Robin Soderling bt Julien Benneteau 6-0, 6-3; Tomas Berdych bt Fernando Gonzalez 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Robby Ginepri (USA) bt Jonas Bjorkman 6-0, 7-6(5); Philipp Kohlschreiber bt Michael Yani 6-3, 6-4; Tommy Haas bt Mikhail Youzhny 7-(2), 2-6, 6-4; Dmitry Tursunov bt Marat Safin 7-6(5), 6-4; Gael Monfils bt Donald Young 6-1, 6-1; Jose Acasuso bt Paul Capdeville 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.

At Montreal: Rogers Cup: First round: Marion Bartoli bt Melanie South 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-0; Virginie Razzano bt Aravane Rezai 6-1, 6-2; Anastasia Rodionova bt Cara Black 6-2, 6-2.

At Stockholm: WTA tournament: First round: Katarina Srebotnik bt Anna Lapushchenkova 6-2, 6-1; Anabel Medina Garrigues bt Sandra Roma 6-3, 6-1; Agnieszka Radwanska bt Nathalie Dechy 6-2, 6-3. — Agencies