Struggling Marat Safin fought his way into the ATP Washington Classic's second round on Monday, while another former world No. 1, the defending champion Andy Roddick, withdrew because of a back injury.
Safin, ranked 92nd, defeated Igor Kunitsyn 6-3, 7-6 (8/6). After falling behind 4-1 in the tie-breaker, Safin rallied to oust his 99th-rated Russian compatriot in the 575,000-dollar US Open hardcourt warm-up event.
"I didn't play my best tennis, but I was fighting," Safin said. "It's kind of difficult. I'm still missing some confidence."
PHOTO: AP
Two-time Grand Slam champion Safin, who is 12-13 this year and has not won back-to-back matches since April, booked a second-round match with France's Nicolas Mahut. He could face US top seed James Blake in the third round.
"Tomorrow is going to be an important match to give me confidence to face James Blake and a great opportunity to give a surprise," Safin said. "I can go far if I have a good match against Blake.
"In the corner of your eye, that's what you're looking for," he added.
Second seed Roddick, who beat Blake in last year's final here, withdrew after lingering pain from a lower left back injury suffered last week at Los Angeles. Roddick had reached the final a week earlier at Indianapolis.
"There's no way to hide from or mask this injury," Roddick said. "I am disappointed. I thought my game was turning around."
Safin, the 2000 US Open and last year's Australian Open winner, struggled with a knee injury that kept him sidelined from last summer until February.
Matches began in intense heat, the most grueling effort belonging to South African Wesley Moodie, who never managed a service break but defeated US teen prodigy Sam Querrey 2-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (8/6) after two hours and 16 minutes.
"It can be torture sometimes. Nothing can prepare you for this weather," said Moodie, who spent the past three weeks off in his homeland's mild winter.
"In the third set, your head starts to spin. You have to play it point by point and try to make it through ... I just couldn't keep my body cool," he said.
Moodie, ranked 86th in the world, needed four match points to finish off Querrey, who fired 19 aces but could not deny Moodie a second-round match against sixth seed Sebastien Grosjean.
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
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
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