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Published 28 Mar, 2006 12:00am

Tennis: Mauresmo and Nalbandian advance

MIAMI (Florida), March 27: World number one Amelie Mauresmo and third seed David Nalbandian advanced while Martina Hingis lost on Sunday in the third round at the ATP and WTA hardcourt tournament.

Australian Open champion Mauresmo ousted French compatriot Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-0 while Argentina’s Nalbandian bounced back strong after dropping a tie-breaker to bounce Czech Tomas Berdych 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, 6-0.

Hingis battled to the finish but Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova eliminated the Swiss star 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (11-9). Hingis, a five-time Grand Slam champion coming off a three-year retirement, had beaten Kuznetsova in a Doha quarterfinal.

A confident Mauresmo, now 3-0 against Bartoli, advanced to a round of 16 matchup with Serbian Ana Ivanovic, who eliminated Ukranian Alona Bondarenko 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

Kuznetsova will face another Swiss player, seventh seed Patty Schnyder, for a spot in the quarter-finals. Schnyder eliminated Slovenia’s Katarina Srebotnik 7-6 (7-3), 6-3.

Nalbandian will next face Czech Radek Stepanek, who outlasted Chile’s Nicolas Massu 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-5), 7-5. Nalbandian overcame a tough start to breeze in the last two sets.

Fifth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko was a break down in the second and third sets but fought back to defeat Australian Open runner-up Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5.

Russian fourth seed Maria Sharapova beat Italian qualifier Maria Elena Camerin 6-2, 7-6 (7-2) while Japan’s Ai Sugiyama defeated Russian Elena Likhovtseva 3-6, 7-5, 6-0.

China’s Zheng Jie downed Germany’s Anna-Lena Groenefeld 6-4, 7-5 to book a fourth-round date with American Jill Craybas, who followed her upset of Belgian second seed Kim Clijsters by beating Czech Klara Koukalova 6-1, 6-2.

Sunday’s results:

Men’s singles:

Third round: Christophe Rochus (Belgium) bt 20-Robby Ginepri (US) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3; Agustin Calleri (Argentina) bt Carlos Moya (Spain) 6-3 7-6 (8-6); 6-Ivan Ljubicic (Croatia) bt 30-Filippo Volandri (Italy) 6-2, 6-3; 16-Nicolas Kiefer (Germany) bt 18-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) 6-2, 3-6, 7-5; 15-Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) bt Nicolas Massu (Chile) 6-7 (6-8), 7-6 (7-5), 7-5; 5-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) bt 25-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyprus) 2-6, 6-2, 7-5; 22-Mario Ancic (Croatia) bt Florent Serra (France) 7-6 (6-4) 6-7 (11-13), 6-2; 3-David Nalbandian (Argentina) bt 26-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 6-7 (3-6), 6-1, 6-0.

Women’s singles:

Third round: 6-Elena Dementieva (Russia) bt Michaella Krajicek (Netherlands) 6-0, 6-1; 22-Tatiana Golovin (France) bt Elena Vesnina (Russia) 6-2, 6-3; 12-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) bt 24-Martina Hingis (Switzerland) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (11-9); 7-Patty Schnyder (Switzerland) bt 28-Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 7-6 (6-3), 6-3; 4-Maria Sharapova (Russia) bt Maria Elena Camerin (Italy) 6-2, 7-6 (6-2); 10-Anastasia Myskina (Russia) bt Victoria Azarenka (Belarus) 6-3, 7-5; 5-Nadia Petrova (Russia) bt Jamea Jackson (US) 4-6, 6-0, 6-0; 1-Amelie Mauresmo (France) bt 30-Marion Bartoli (France) 6-4, 6-0; 21-Ai Sugiyama (Japan) bt 15-Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) 3-6, 7-5, 6-0; Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) bt Virginie Razzano (France) 6-4, 6-0; 20-Maria Kirilenko (Russia) bt Viktoriya Kutuzova (Ukraine) 6-1, 6-4; Eleni Daniilidou (Greece) bt 13-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2; 32-Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden) bt Meghann Shaughnessy (US) 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5); Jill Craybas (US) bt 27-Klara Koukalova (Czech Republic) 6-1, 6-2; Jie Zheng (China) bt 16-Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) 6-4, 7-5; 14-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia and Montenegro) bt Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine) 6-3, 5-7, 6-3.

—Agencies

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