Gilles Simon of France saved four match points in overcoming Igor Andreev of Russia 4-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7) in the first round of the Madrid Masters on Monday.
Simon saved all four while serving at 4-5 in the third set. Then the three-time title winner on tour this year came back from a 3-5 deficit in the tiebreaker to advance to a matchup with 11th-seeded James Blake.
Former top-5 player Tommy Robredo held off Andreas Seppi of Italy 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3 in two hours, 19 minutes.
Robredo managed a decisive break point in the sixth game of the final set when Seppi slapped a forehand into the net. The Spaniard next plays eighth-seeded Andy Roddick.
Big Czech Tomas Berdych eased past Germany’s Rainer Schuettler 6-1, 6-2, while Marian Cilic of Croatia beat Belgian qualifier Olivier Rochus 6-3, 7-5.
American qualifier Mardy Fish hit 13 aces to beat Belgian Steve Darcis in his first match since he got married two weeks ago. Fish converted all four of his break points against Darcis to play Richard Gasquet of France next.
Lucky loser Simone Bolelli also advanced, beating Nicolas Almagro of Spain 7-6 (4), 6-1. The Italian, who was entered only after former champion Marat Safin withdrew with a shoulder injury, will next face US Open finalist Andy Murray.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
Rafael Nadal on Tuesday lost in straight sets to 31st-ranked Jiri Lehecka in the fourth round at the Madrid Open, while Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei advanced to the semi-finals in the women’s doubles. Nadal said that he was feeling good about his progress following his latest injury layoff. Nadal called it a “positive week” in every way and said his body held up well. “I was able to play four matches, a couple of tough matches,” Nadal said. “So very positive, winning three matches, playing four matches at the high level of tennis. I enjoyed a lot playing at home. I leave here with
A soccer jersey carrying a national map including disputed Western Sahara has become a hot commodity in Morocco after a diplomatic dispute with Algeria. Retailers said RS Berkane jerseys have been flying off the shelves after a Confederation of African Football (CAF) Cup match against Algerian club USM Alger was canceled last month over the jerseys. “We are overwhelmed by the influx of messages and requests,” said Brahim Rabii, representative of the official RS Berkane jersey distributor. Algeria broke off diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, partly over the issue of Western Sahara. The former Spanish colony is largely controlled by Morocco, but claimed
When 42-1 underdog James ‘Buster’ Douglas shocked ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson 34 years ago at the Tokyo Dome, the result reverberated worldwide. Spectators at the 45,000-plus seater venue witnessed one of boxing’s biggest upsets as unbeaten heavyweight champion Tyson was knocked out in the 10th round by the unheralded Douglas in February 1990. Boxing returns to the famous venue on Monday for the first time since that unforgettable encounter when Japan’s undisputed super-bantamweight world champion Naoya ‘Monster’ Inoue puts his belts on the line against Mexican Luis Nery. The 31-year-old Inoue (26-0, 23 KOs) is a huge star in Japan and is just