ROTTERDAM, 21 February 2004 — Sixth seed Lleyton Hewitt won a grinding clash of battlers yesterday, overcoming German Rainer Schuettler 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 to claw into the semifinals during his debut week at the 842,000-euros Rotterdam World Tennis tournament.
The former world No. 1 Aussie, now standing 13th after barely playing a match in the final third of last season, was joined in the last four at the Ahoy stadium by power-hitting quiet man Max Mirnyi.
Last year’s champion from Belarus beat Jarkko Nieminen of Finland 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) and said that the pressure is off of his shoulders as he makes his first-ever title defense.
The winner of 19 doubles titles has only his Rotterdam success to boast about so far in singles. But Mirnyi, 22 in the world, is convinced that he’ll add to that collection. Mirnyi is attempting to become the fourth player in the tournament’s history to win back-to-back titles.
Roddick Powers Past De Chaunac Into Quarterfinals
In Memphis, Tennessee, top seed Andy Roddick cruised into the quarterfinals of the $880,000- hardcourt tennis tournament here Thursday with a 6-2, 6-3, victory over French qualifier Sebastien de Chaunac. Roddick needed only 65 minutes to subdue de Chaunac, setting the tone with three of his 15 aces in his first service game of the match.
Roddick next faces Swede Thomas Enqvist, who continued his welcome return to form with a 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over German Alexander Popp. Sweden’s Joachim Johansson continued his impressive rise, moving into the quarters with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over sixth-seeded James Blake.
Johansson advanced to a quarter-final clash with Belgian Xavier Malisse. Malisse avenged a first-round loss to Cyril Saulnier at Wimbledon last year by defeating the Frenchman 7-6 (7 4), 6-2. Second seed Mardy Fish got off to another slow start before overcoming Canadian qualifier Frederic Niemeyer 1-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Fish now meets Russian Dmitry Tursunov who beat seventh-seeded South African Wayne Ferreira 6-4, 6-0. Eighth seed Nicolas Kiefer of Germany downed Austrian Jurgen Melzer 7-6 (7-5), 6-7 (2-7), 6-3 to set up a clash with American Jan-Michael Gambill, a 6-3, 6-4 winner over wild card Brian Baker.
The top four women’s seeds all advanced to the semifinals. No. 1 Vera Zvonareva of Russia overcame a nose bleed and a tricky opponent in Gisela Dulko to reach the final four.
Zvonareva played for most of the second set with tissue stemming the flow from her nose before winning 6-3, 6-4 to set up a clash with her doubles partner Maria Sharapova.
In a battle between the youngest and oldest players in the draw, the 16-year-old Sharapova advanced to the semifinals with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Amy Frazier. Sharapova, the No. 3 seed, took just 72 minutes to defeat the sixth-seeded Frazier, the 31-year-old who reached a career-high ranking of No. 13 back in 1995
Two-time defending champion Lisa Raymond, the second seed, overcame a second-set lapse to defeat fellow American Lindsay Lee-Waters 6-0, 4-6, 6-1. Raymond booked a clash with fellow American Laura Granville, the fourth seed who beat seventh-seeded Kristina Brandi 6-3, 7-5.
Moya Extends Unbeaten Run in Buenos Aires to 12
Defending champion Carlos Moya needed more than two hours to overcome fellow Spaniard David Sanchez 7-6, 1-6, 7-6 and reach the Buenos Aires Open quarterfinals. Moya, who also won in 1995, extended his unbeaten run in the tournament to 12 matches. He was due to meet Argentine sixth seed Mariano Zabaleta, who beat Spaniard Oscar Hernandez 6-1, 6-4.
Another Spaniard, David Ferrer, beat Brazilian Flavio Saretta 7-6, 3-6, 6-2, and now meets Argentine Jose Acasuso, who clawed his way back from the brink of defeat in a 3-6, 7-6, 6-4 win over Frenchman Olivier Patience. Acasuso took the second-set tiebreak 11-9 to stay in the match.
Defending Champ Tanasugarn Falls to Unseeded Russian
In Hyderabad, India, unseeded Russian teenager Maria Kirilenko dumped defending champion Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand out of the $140,000 WTA Indian Open with a straight sets semifinal win yesterday.
Kirilenko came away 6-3, 6-2 winner and next meets fourth seeded Australian Nicole Pratt, who rallied from a set down to beat second seed Marion Bartoli of France 4-6, 7-6 (7 3), 6-2.
Tanasugarn, who required on-court treatment for her right knee, appeared to be struggling and had few answers for the well directed returns from the quick- footed 17-year-old from Moscow. The defending champion’s serve deserted her on crucial points and her game was peppered with several double faults and other unforced errors.
Schnyder Forced to Retire With Groin Strain
In Antwerp, fifth-seeded Swiss Patty Schnyder was forced to retire with a groin strain in her quarterfinal against Italy’s Silvia Farina Elia at the Antwerp Diamond Games WTA tournament yesterday.
Elia, the eighth seed, was leading 7-6, 1-0 when Schnyder was unable to continue. In other quarterfinals, Swiss Myriam Casanova defeated Czech Klara Koukalova 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, and Croatian Karolina Sprem beat Czech Denisa Chladkova 6-4, 6-3.
