NOTTINGHAM, England, 16 June 2004 — Defending champion Greg Rusedski came back from a match point against him to beat Karol Kucera 2-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 in a thrilling first round match at the Nottingham Open yesterday as top seed Paradorn Srichaphan eased past Belgian Gilles Elseneer 6-3, 7-5.
Rusedski’s world ranking has dropped to 110 since he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs last year and he was granted a wild card for this tournament despite winning only two of his nine matches since being cleared of any wrongdoing. The British No. 2 was made to work hard against his Slovak opponent and had to save three break points in the eighth game of the second set.
Then after failing to put away an easy smash he was forced to save a match point to level the second set at 5-5.
Rusedski took the tie-break and raced to a 3-0 lead in the deciding set, but the world No. 26 from Slovakia recovered to 3-3 and Rusedski had to save two more break points to edge ahead 4-3.
Paradorn losing to the eventual champion Andy Roddick. Britain’s Jonathan Marray belied his world ranking of 250 by beating the big-serving Australian Wayne Arthurs 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 6-3.
There Marray had pushed Lleyton Hewitt to the limit in the third round before losing 7-6 (7-2), 7-6 (10-8). He has also been granted a wild card for Wimbledon next week. Qualifier Thomas Johansson also upset the form book when he defeated the number four seed Max Mirnyi of Belarus 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Defending Champion Schalken Loses in Den Bosch
In Amsterdam, defending champion Sjeng Schalken suffered a shock first round defeat at the Ordina Open yesterday, beaten 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 by unseeded Croatian Mario Ancic.
The third-seeded Dutchman, who last month pulled out of the French Open because of a viral infection, won the pre-Wimbledon grasscourt event in the Netherlands in 2002 and 2003.
But after winning the first set he was swept aside by 20-year-old Ancic, ranked 67 in the world.
Eating Issues No Weigh on Hantuchova
In Eastbourne, England, Daniela Hantuchova, concentrating on tennis again instead of lingering queries about her weight, entered her favorite part of the season with a win into the second round of the $585,000 Eastbourne Championships yesterday.
The unseeded Slovak overcame a mid-match challenge from American veteran Amy Frazier 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. Jelena Dokic made an unceremonious exit 6-2, 6-2 against Slovenian Tina Pisnik.
Italian seeds split a pair of results, with Russian Elena Bovina stunning 2003 semifinalist Silvia Farina Elia, seeded fifth, 7-5, 6-0.
No. 8 compatriot Francesca Schiavone outlasted Australian Alicia Molik 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (7-2).
Elena Likhovtseva defeated fellow Russian Dinara Safina 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 while Briton Amanda Janes beat China’s Zie Zheng 7-5, 6-3. She will next face a stern test against French top seed Amelie Mauresmo.
