Date:16/10/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/10/16/stories/2008101654011900.htm

Sport - Tennis

Qualifier Ginepri knocks out Davydenko

MADRID: American qualifier Robby Ginepri knocked out fifth seed Nikolay Davydenko 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the second round of the Madrid Masters on Wednesday.

The defeat is a major blow for the Russian, who is chasing one of the four remaining places in next month’s eight-man Masters Cup in Shanghai, as it came hot on the heels of his quarterfinal exit from the Kremlin Cup.

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, the 16th seed, narrowly avoided a similar fate to Davydenko, winning a third set tiebreak to beat the impressive Marcel Granollers 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(5).

A spectacular leap and overhead backhand volley allowed him to break back and level midway through the third set, before he forced the Spaniard into an error to take the tiebreak 7-5.

The results: At Madrid: Madrid Masters: Second round: Robby Ginepri bt Nikolay Davydenko 4-6, 6-4, 6-4; Jo-Wilfried Tsonga bt Marcel Granollers 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(5); David Nalbandian bt Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-1; Ivo Karlovic bt Robin Soderling 7-6(7), 7-6(8); Richard Gasquet bt Mardy Fish 6-7(3), 6-4, 6-3; Rafael Nadal bt Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

At Zurich (Zurich Open): First round: Petra Kvitova bt Patty Schnyder 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Monica Niculescu bt Anna Chakvetadze 3-6, 6-3, 6-2. — Agencies