ESTORIL (Portugal), April 15: Fifth-seeded Gilles Simon of France defeated Croatia’s Roko Karanusic 7-5, 7-5 on Monday to advance to the second round of the clay-court Estoril Open.
In other first-round games, seventh-seeded Marc Gicquel ousted Boris Pashanski 6-4, 6-3 and Teimuraz Gabashvili dispatched Florian Mayer 7-5, 7-5.
Local favourite Fernando Gil also advanced with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Frenchman Nicolas Mahut, while Ivo Minar of the Czech Republic overcame Argentina’s Martin Vassallo Arguello 7-5, 6-1.
Top-seeded Roger Federer and No 2 seed Nikolay Davydenko play their first-round games on Tuesday.
In the women’s event, third-seeded Karin Knapp of Italy beat local player Frederica Piedade 6-3, 6-0, and sixth-seeded Klara Zakopalova of the Czech Republic knocked out Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.
Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova routed Canada’s Stephanie Dubois 6-0, 6-1, and Sofia Arvidsson of Sweden overcame Lilia Osterloh of the United States 7-5, 6-4.
Monday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):
Men’s singles:
First round: Teimuraz Gabashvili (Russia) bt Florian Mayer (Germany) 7-5, 7-5; 5-Gilles Simon (France) bt Roko Karanusic (Croatia) 7-5, 7-5; Frederico Gil (Portugal) bt 6-Nicolas Mahut (France) 6-0, 6-3; Ivo Minar (Czech Republic) bt Martin Vassallo Argueello (Argentina) 7-5, 6-1; 7-Marc Gicquel (France) bt Boris Pasanski (Serbia) 6-4, 6-3.
Women’s singles:
First round: 6-Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) bt Evgeniya Rodina (Russia) 7-5, 3-6, 6-1; 7-Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) bt Lilia Osterloh (US) 7-5, 6-4; Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) bt Stephanie Dubois (Canada) 6-0, 6-1; 3-Karin Knapp (Italy) bt Frederica Piedade (Portugal) 6-3, 6-0.
FAMILY CIRCLE CUP
CHARLESTON (South Carolina): Maria Sharapova arrived at the Family Circle Cup on Monday hoping to continue her successful start to the claycourt season.
The Russian world No 4 captured her first claycourt title when she defeated Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia in the final of the Amelia Island Championships on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Ninth seed Vera Zvonareva of Russia easily defeated qualifier Chuang Chia-jung of Taiwan 6-2, 6-2 in the first round on Monday.
Tenth seeded Hungarian Agnes Szavay and 12th seed Katarina Srebotnik of Slovenia also advanced. Szavay got past Ukraine’s Yuliana Fedak 6-0, 7-6 and Srebotnik beat Swiss teenager Timea Bacsinszky 7-6, 6-3.
Results:
First round: 11-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) bt Marta Domachowska (Poland) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; 9-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) bt Chuang Chia-Jung (Taiwan) 6-2, 6-2; Ai Sugiyama (Japan) bt Ayumi Morita (Japan) 6-4, 6-1; Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (Czech Republic) bt Chan Yung-Jan (Taiwan) 6-3, 6-2; Lourdes Dominguez Lino (Spain) bt Aleksandra Wozniak (Canada) 6-1, 6-1; 12-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) bt Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3; 10-Agnes Szavay (Hungary) bt Yuliana Fedak (Ukraine) 6-0, 7-6 (7-4); Casey Dellacqua (Australia) bt Maria Emilia Salerni (Argentina) 7-5, 6-4; Alexandra Stevenson (US) bt Alina Jidkova (Russia) 7-6 (8-6), 6-1; Julia Schruff (Germany) bt Galina Voskoboeva (Russia) 7-6 (7-2), 6-4; Sorana Cirstea (Romania) bt Vania King (US) 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-1; Sun Tiantian (China) bt Ahsha Rolle (US) 2-6, 7-6 (7-1), 6-2; Gisela Dulko (Argentina) bt Alicia Molik (Australia) 6-2, 6-3; Sara Errani (Italy) bt Julie Ditty (US) 6-2, 6-3.
HARRISON MAKES HISTORY
HOUSTON (Texas): American teen Ryan Harrison became the third-youngest player in 18 years to win an ATP match, defeating Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay 6-4, 6-3, at the ATP US Men’s Clay Court Championship.
Harrison, 15, became the 10th player in the Open Era on Monday to win an ATP match at such a young age.
He joins Richard Gasquet and world No 2 Rafael Nadal as the only 15-year-olds to win a match since 1990.
Ranked 1,277 in the world, Harrison could face top-seeded James Blake in the next round.
American Blake is hoping to carry the momentum from his Davis Cup victories over the ATP Tour.
Blake captured a pair of singles wins in the US’s 4-1 victory over France in the Davis Cup quarter-finals over the weekend.
Rising star Donald Young posted a 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) victory over Spanish qualifier Fernando Vicente on Monday.Also moving on was US wild card Hugo Armando with a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 victory over Carlos Berlocq of Argentina.
In a match-up of Americans, Wayne Odesnik dispatched Amer Delic 6-3, 6-3.
Results:
First round: 8-Oscar Hernandez (Spain) bt Juan Pablo Brzezicki (Argentina) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; 6-Dudi Sela (Israel) bt Robby Ginepri (US) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; Ryan Harrison (US) bt Pablo Cuevas (Uruguay) 6-4, 6-3; Hugo Armando (US) bt Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5; Wayne Odesnik (US) bt Amer Delic (US) 6-3, 6-3; Donald Young (US) bt Fernando Vicente (Spain) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5).—Agencies
Dear visitor, the comments section is undergoing an overhaul and will return soon.