DUBAI, 2 March 2004 — Rainer Schuttler, the man who made the second biggest improvement of any player on the ATP Tour last year, seems to be at risk of making one of the most surprising falls after suffering his fourth first round defeat out of five.

The world No. 6 from Germany was beaten 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 by his compatriot Philipp Kohlschreiber, who only got into the main draw of the Dubai Open through the qualifying competition. For the 20-year-old from Munich it was a first victory over a leading player, but for Schuttler it put him at risk of losing the top ten place he secured for the first time in the second half of last year.

At the end, the man who has been one of the steadiest competitors on the tour self-destructed, serving a double fault and making two unforced errors at 4-5 in the final game.

Kohlschreiber had the advantage of being used to the bouncy balls and courts by having had two matches already, and was excited by beating the No. 1 player from his own country. But even he admitted that Schuttler had been below par. Earlier the first match of the tournament ended before some of the local spectators had arrived to see it. Omar Bahrouzyan, the world card entry from the United Arab Emirates was beaten 6-0, 6-0 in less than three-quarters of an hour by the rising French No. 3 Gregory Carraz. But there were consolations. Bahrouzyan’s loser’s prize money of $7,580 meant he was earning more than $175 per minute.

French Veteran Cuts Down Spanish Seed

Magui Serna of Spain became the first seeded casualty of the $600,000 WTA Qatar Open when the eighth seed fell to veteran Frenchwoman Sandrine Testud 6-3, 6-2 on the opening day of the tournament in Doha yesterday. Wildcard recipient Testud decided to take part in the event only at the last minute after a niggling stomach injury forced her to retire from the Paris Indoors and later the Dubai Open.

But the 31-year-old Frenchwoman showed she had lost none of her touch for the game when she broke her rival’s first service game to love and in no time had raced to a 5-2 lead. She pocketed the set when Serna returned wide.

In the second set Testud broke twice in the second and fifth games for a 4-1 lead and Serna, six years younger than her opponent, all but caved in. But the Frenchwoman started committing mistakes in her eagerness to close out the match and just managed to keep serve in the sixth game. Advantage changed hands no less than five times in the marathon game but Testud prevailed with an accurate winner nudging the tramlines.

Testud served out the match with ease and advanced to the next round where she will meet either Vera Douchevina of Russia or Russian Nathalie Dechy.

In the only other singles match scheduled, Petra Mandula of Hungary pulled out of her encounter with Jelena Kostanic of Croatia with a right thigh strain. World No 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium is the top seed while American Jennifer Capriati is seeded second. The top four seeds are likely to see action only tomorrow.

Top Seed Roddick Ready Despite Back Worries

Top seed Andy Roddick, the reigning US Open champion, has some concerns over nagging back problems as he prepares to face an ATP field filled with fellow American contenders in Scottsdale.

The 21-year-old power server won in San Jose last month but was hampered two weeks ago at Memphis by back problems in a loss to Sweden’s Thomas Enqvist. The lingering pain is still nagging him here at the $380,000 ATP Templeton Classic.