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Porsche Grand Prix claims another seeded victim

Alicia Molik from Australia hits a return to Lindsay Davenport from the US during their second-round match at the Porsche Grand Prix in Filderstadt, Germany, on Wednesday. PHOTO: EPA

Elena Dementieva became the latest upset victim at the Porsche Grand Prix on Wednesday when qualifier Lisa Raymond of the United States ousted the fifth-seeded Russian 6-0, 7-5 in the first round of the US$650,000 event.

Seventh-seeded Nadia Petrova of Russia was also beaten, but American Lindsay Davenport breezed past Alicia Molik of Australia 6-1, 6-0 in the second round.

Davenport, who could overtake Amelie Mauresmo as the world No. 1 at the event, needed just 51 minutes to blow past the 20th-ranked player. The American said a foot injury didn't bother her during the match.

"It wasn't as easy as it looked out there," Davenport said. "But Alicia didn't play well tonight."

Dementieva is among four seeded players beaten in the first round of the tournament, which started with five of the world's top six in the field.

The Russian claimed her first title this year in Belgium on Sunday, ending a streak of three lost finals, including the French and US Opens.

But against Raymond, she was blown out in the first set and couldn't recover in a hard-fought second set to lose in 75 minutes.

Lisa Raymond of the US returns the ball against Elena Dementieva of Russia during their match in the WTA Porsche Grand Prix tennis tournament on Wednesday. PHOTO: AFP

Petrova lost to Jelena Jankovic of Serbia-Montenegro 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3), while Elena Bovina of Russia downed Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany 6-2, 6-2 and Patty Schnyder of Switzerland slipped past Jelena Kostanic of Croatia 6-3, 5-7, 6-1.

Sixth-seeded Vera Zvonareva of Russia and eighth-seeded Ai Sugiyama of Japan were also upset during the first two days of play.

Mauresmo, who plays her first match Thursday, will have to reach the final to be sure Davenport doesn't strip her of the top ranking, although a switch will also depend on the American facing enough highly ranked players to pick up enough points.

This is the fourth time in six years a battle for the top ranking could be decided at the Porsche Grand Prix.

Japan Open

Former world number one Lleyton Hewitt eased into the third round of the Japan Open tennis tournament yesterday while Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova booked her place in the women's semi-finals.

Hewitt, the Australian top seed, dropped his second set in two matches but still ran out a comfortable 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-4 winner over Takao Suzuki of Japan.

The 2002 Wimbledon champion, currently ranked third in the world, avoided facing any break points against the 231st-ranked Suzuki during the 113-minute match, converting three of his six break opportunities.

"Even I lost the first set, I still felt like I was a better player throughout the first set," said Hewitt.

"To be able to break his serve early in the second set, I think that was the key, and let him know that his serve's gonna be broken a few more times in the match."

Meanwhile defending women's champion Sharapova breezed past French qualifier Youlia Fedossova 6-3, 6-4 to set up a match against Thai ace Tamarine Tanasugarn.

Tamarine advanced to the semi-finals earlier in the day when last year's runner-up Aniko Kapros of Hungary abandoned the match with a knee injury at 6-1, 3-0.

The 2001 runner-up admitted she found it difficult to concentrate with compatriot Paradorn Srichapan struggling to find his form on the adjacent court.

"I had to worry about my game while wanting to watch his match, too, but I had to make sure I concentrated. It was very hard," Tamarine said.

Paradorn, the fourth seed, found himself 2-6 down in the first set before beating Harel Levy of Israel 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 in the men's singles second round.

Paradorn was to play his third-round match later in the day against Marco Chiudinelli of Switzerland, the winner over Dennis van Scheppoingen of the Netherlands 6-4, 7-6 (7/3).

Lyon Open

Morocco's Hicham Arazi upset defending champion and second-seeded Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 on Wednesday, eliminating the 15th-ranked German in the first round of the US$980,000 Lyon Open.

The loss was the fifth time in six events Schuettler has failed to advance past the first round of an event, including the Olympics, since reaching the semifinals in Kitzbuhel, Austria, in July. He reached the second round in Beijing two weeks ago before being beaten.

US Open semifinalist Joachim Johansson of Sweden, the fourth seed, won his first-round match, beating Argentina's Juan Monaco 6-4, 6-3. In other matches, Johansson's countrymen Jonas Bjorkman and Robin Soderling advanced. Bjorkman beat Max Mirnyi of Belarus 6-7 (3), 7-6 (5), 6-4 while Soderling defeated Feliciano Lopez of Spain 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in second-round matches.

Also in the second round, No. 7 seed Vincent Spadea of the United States beat Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4), Xavier Malisse of Belgium defeated Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-0.

In other first-round matches, Austria's Jurgen Melzer eliminated France's Michael Llodra 7-6 (7-2), 6-4, while Frenchman Julien Benneteau dispatched Rafael Nadal of Spain 6-3, 6-0.
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