MIAMI (Florida), March 27: Three-time French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten, playing his final season, was ousted by France’s Sebastien Grosjean 6-1, 7-5 here on Wednesday on day one of the ATP and WTA Sony Ericcson Open.

The 31-year-old Brazilian wild card entrant had not played an ATP match in 13 months but wanted to make a farewell tour this year of the events dearest to his heart, including Roland Garros, where he won in 1997, 2000 and 2001.

Opening-day matches at the $7.54 million hardcourt tournament were mainly to determine first-match foes for top seeds, who all received a bye into the second round and do not start playing until later this week.

Women’s world No 1 Justine Henin of Belgium will open against Angelique Kerber after the German defeated Uzbekhistan’s Akgul Amanmuradova 7-5, 6-1.

Taiwan’s Chan Yung-Jan advanced to a matchup with Russian third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova by beating Romanian Ioana Raluca Olaru 6-1, 2-6, 6-1.

Poland’s Marta Domachowska booked a date with sixth seed Venus Williams, the reigning Wimbledon champion, after beating American Jill Craybas 6-4, 0-6, 7-6 (8-6).

On the men’s side, Germany’s Benjamin Becker defeated Argentine qualifier Sergio Roitman 6-3, 6-4 to book a date with second seed Rafael Nadal of Spain.

Belgium’s Xavier Malisse beat Spain’s Oscar Hernandez 6-1, 6-1 to earn a second-round match against Argentine seventh seed David Nalbandian.

Tommy Haas withdrew due to a sinus infection. The 29-year-old German, ranked 36th on the ATP Tour, pulled out of a quarter-final match against Swiss world No 1 Roger Federer last week at Indian Wells for the same reason.

Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez replaced him in the main draw.

Wednesday’s results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

First round: Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) bt Tommy Haas (Germany) 4-6, 7-6 (11-9), 6-4; Fabrice Santoro

(France) bt Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) 6-1, 6-0; Pablo Cuevas (Uruguay) bt Vince Spadea (US) 6-4, 6-2; Kevin Anderson (South Africa) bt Agustin Calleri (Argentina) 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 7-6 (7-4); Michael Berrer (Germany) bt Robin Haase (Netherlands) 6-4, 6-4; Sebastien Grosjean (France) bt Gustavo Kuerten (Brazil) 6-1, 7-5; Albert Montanes (Spain) bt Kei Nishikori (Japan) 7-5, 6-2; Sam Querrey (US) bt Carlos Berlocq (Argentina) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3; Sam Warburg (US) bt Potito Starace (Italy) 7-6 (7-2), 6-2; Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) bt Jesse Levine (US) 7-5, 6-1; Benjamin Becker (Germany) bt Sergio Roitman (Argentina) 6-3, 6-4; Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) bt Evgeny Korolev (Russia) 4-6, 6-3, 6-2; Andreas Seppi (Italy) bt Marc Gicquel (France) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2; Xavier Malisse (Belgium) bt Oscar Hernandez (Spain) 6-1, 6-1; Nicolas Mahut (France) bt Florian Mayer (Germany) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3; Marin Cilic (Croatia) bt Kristof Vliegen (Belgium) 6-3, 6-2.

Women’s singles:

First round: Michelle Larcher de Brito (Portugal) bt Ekaterina Makarova (Russia) 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-3; Vania King (US) bt Meghann Shaughnessy (US) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1; Anastasia Rodionova (Russia) bt Casey Dell’Acqua

(Australia) 6-2, 7-6 (7-1); Rossana De Los Rios (Paraguay) bt Yvonne Meusburger (Austria) 6-2, 4-6, 6-4; Ashley Harkleroad (US) bt Emmanuelle Gagliardi (Switzerland) 6-4, 6-3; Tatiana Perebiynis (Ukraine) bt Gisela Dulko (Argentina) 6-4, 7-6 (7-1); Kaia Kanepi (Estonia) bt Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) 3-6, 7-5, 7-5; Nathalie Dechy (France) bt Saori Nakamura (Japan) 6-0, 6-0; Sara Errani (Italy) bt Akiko Morigami (Japan) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4; Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria) 6-4, 7-5; Elena Vesnina (Russia) bt Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) 6-4, 6-4; Marta Domachowska (Poland) bt Jill Craybas (US) 6-4, 0-6, 7-6 (8-6); Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) bt Martina Mueller (Germany) 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), 6-2; Chan Yung-jan (Taiwan) bt Raluca Olaru (Romania) 6-1, 2-6, 6-1; Edina Gallovits (Romania) bt Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) 6-4, 6-1; Angelique Kerber (Germany) bt Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzbekistan) 7-5, 6-1.—Agencies

Opinion

Editorial

General malfeasance
Updated 12 Dec, 2024

General malfeasance

Will Gen Faiz Hameed's trial prove to be a long overdue comeuppance or just another smokescreen?
Electricity rates
12 Dec, 2024

Electricity rates

THE government is renegotiating power purchase agreements with private power producers to slash their capacity...
Aggression in Syria
12 Dec, 2024

Aggression in Syria

TAKING advantage of the chaos in post-Assad Syria, Israel has proceeded to grab more of the Arab state’s land,...
Madressah politics
Updated 11 Dec, 2024

Madressah politics

The curriculum taught must be free of hate and prejudice, while madressah students need to be taught life skills to later contribute to economy.
Targeting travellers
11 Dec, 2024

Targeting travellers

THE country’s top tax authority seems to have run out of good ideas. According to news reports, the Federal Board...
Grieving elephants
11 Dec, 2024

Grieving elephants

FOR most, the news will perhaps not even register. Another elephant has died in captivity in Pakistan. The death is...