LONG ISLAND, New York, 25 August 2004 — Veteran Wayne Ferreira, due to retire from tennis next month, scrambled to a 6-2, 6-3 win over Spaniard David Sanchez Monday to reach the second round of the $380,000 ATP Long Island event. The South African, who will wrap up his career after the US Open and a final Davis Cup appearance for his nation, improved his record this closeout season to 13 wins against 14 losses.
He has a chance to pull level for 2004 when he played the winner of a Tuesday match between Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan and qualifier Kevin Kim. The event is missing Andre Agassi, who withdrew Sunday only hours after a semifinal loss in Washington to finalist Gilles Muller of Luxembourg.
Taking up much of the week’s spotlight is Washington champion Lleyton Hewitt, who is on form for next week’s start of the US Open, which he won in 2001. The former world No. 1 Australian, seeded second, was to begin play yesterday against France’s Olivier Mutis.
Unseeded American Jan Michael Gambill rallied after a sloppy start to overhaul Richard Gasquet 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3). Gasquet is one of four Frenchmen in the field, all in the bottom half of the draw. Former top 20 contender Gambill has used this event as a US Open warm-up for the past several years.
The American said his goal for the remainder of this season would be a top 40 finish.
Kostanic, Washington Score Upsets,Petrova, Raymond, Dechy Advance
In New Haven, Conn., wild card Mashona Washington combined strong serving with powerful groundstrokes to defeat Meghann Shaughnessy, 6-4, 6-4, in the second upset at the Pilot Pen tennis tournament Monday.
Washington broke Shaughnessy once in each set, taking advantage of a double fault by Shaughnessy in the second set to take control.
“I was just trying to execute, to keep the ball in play,’’ Washington said.
Shaughnessy said she was trying to get her rhythm back after not playing competitively for a few weeks. “The key thing for (Washington) tonight was her serve,’’ Shaughnessy said. “She didn’t give me many opportunities to break, and that was the difference in the match.’’
Earlier Monday, unseeded Jelena Kostanic outlasted sixth-seeded Magdalena Maleeva 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 to advance to the second round.
Also advancing Monday were No. 5 seed Nadia Petrova, No. 8 seed Nathalie Dechy, Lisa Raymond and two qualifiers — Marta Marrero and Akiko Morigami.
Kostanic said the two-hour match was a tough and exhausting test for the first round.
“I was really getting tired,’’ Kostanic said.
Raymond, who took a last-minute wild card to the event after playing singles and doubles in the Olympics, beat Dinara Safina 6-1, 3-6, 6-2.
Raymond came frequently to the net late in the match to stay ahead of Safina, then took advantage of two double-faults to win. Dechy beat Magui Serna 6-1, 6-4.
Dechy broke Serna in the ninth game of the second set, after three break point opportunities, when Serna’s backhand volley landed in the net. She won the match on a forehand winner down the line. Petrova beat Cara Black, 6-1, 6-4. Marrero defeated Sybille Bammer 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 and Morigami defeated Silvija Talaja, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.
