BUCHAREST, 11 September 2003 — Spanish fourth seed David Sanchez reached his sixth quarterfinal of the season yesterday when he defeated Austria’s Jurgen Melzer 7-6 (7 2), 6-4 to set up a last-eight clash with French fifth seed Paul-Henri Mathieu at the ATP clay court tournament here.
Mathieu eased to a 6-2, 6-1 win over Albert Portas while third-seed Sargis Sargsian of Armenia also progressed with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Romanian wild card Ion Moldovan.
Another Romanian, wild card Razvan Sabau, beat eighth-seed and 1999 champion Alberto Martin 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 to advance to his career quarterfinal.
The 26-year-old made his ATP debut here in Bucharest ten years ago, the same year he won the Wimbledon junior singles title. “It’s a great victory for me and I had to fight a lot. It’s the best result for me as a tennis player,” said Sabau.
Rubin and Dementieva
Advance in Bali
Top seeds Chanda Rubin and Elena Dementieva advanced to the quarterfinals of the $225,000- WTA tournament here yesterday, as third seed Conchita Martinez and local favorite Angelique Widjaja struggled to claim first round victories.
Rubin overcame Maria Sanchez Lorenzo of Spain 6-2, 6-2, and Russia’s Dementieva marked her return to the top 10 with a straightforward 6-4, 6-1 win over German qualifier Anna-Lena Groenefeld.
But Martinez, a finalist last year, had to overcome a stomach illness as well as her opponent as she beat fellow Spaniard Arantxa Parra 6-1, 7-6 (7 5). Martinez called for the trainer before Parra served for the match at 5-4, and the tournament doctor attended her on court before the tiebreak, which Martinez edged 7-5.
Bouyed up by the home crowd Widjaja rallied from 3-5 down in the final set to defeat Dinara Safina 7-6 (7 4), 4-6, 7-5 in their first round match. After a long rain delay at the end of the second set, the Russian, sister of former world number one Marat Safin, lost the first 10 points, but then failed to serve out the match when leading 5-3.
Germany’s Anca Barna upset eighth seeded Korean Yoon Jeong-Cho 6-3, 1-6, 6-3, Saori Obata of Japan overwhelmed Austria’s Barbara Schett 6-1, 6-1, and Maria Vento-Kabchi of Venezuela beat Paraguay’s Rossana Neffa-de los Rios 6-4, 6-4.
Roddick Leads US
Davis Cup Charge
Newly-crowned US Open champion Andy Roddick, the world No. 2, will lead the United States team in their Davis Cup relegation round tie against Slovakia in Bratislava later this month. Team captain Patrick McEnroe named Roddick, winner of six events this season, to play the singles along with James Blake, with twins Bob and Mike Bryan, the French Open champions and joint world No. 1 in doubles, rounding off the team for the clay court tie from Sept. 19-21.
Slovakia captain Miloslav Mecir named a team which included 30th-ranked Karol Kucera, Dominik Hrbaty (55th ranked), Karol Beck (71) and Michal Mertinak (194).
The United States lost the first round in Croatia and must beat Slovakia to stay in the elite World Group which they have never dropped out of. The US beat Slovakia 5-0 in their last meeting in the first round a year ago.
Henin-Hardenne Hits
Out at Doping Claims
US Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne hit out yesterday at claims from her Belgian rival Kim Clijsters’ camp she used performance-enhancing drugs. “It’s just ridiculous, so petty,” she told the French-speaking Belgian media yesterday.
“I would have preferred to have been welcomed differently, with talk about my performances, my semifinal against (Jennifer) Capriati where I achieved one of my greatest results,” she added. “My only drug is work. I have worked really hard for the last year in Florida to improve my stamina and strength. Sometimes it made me cry, I pushed myself so hard.”
Leo Clijsters, Kim’s father, and former French Open semifinalist Filip De Wulf, told the Flemish-speaking press Henin-Hardenne had used muscle-building drugs for the last year.
Henin-Hardenne’s coach, Carlos Rodriguez, said Clijsters’ camp was simply “frustrated” at being unable to beat Henin-Hardenne in two Grand Slam finals.
Clijsters might have claimed the No 1 world ranking but it is Henin-Hardenne who has proved the tougher player. She beat Serena Williams in the semifinals on the way to her French Open win.
But the Belgian press said her refusal to play alongside Clijsters in the November Fed Cup finals in Moscow has sparked the row between the tennis-playing families.
