MADRID, 20 October 2004 — Spain’s teenage raging bull Rafael Nadal stampeded over an Italian nearly twice his age yesterday, plowing into the second round of the $2.425-million Madrid Masters 6-2, 6-1 against Davide Sanguinetti.
The 32-year-old from Italy never looked a threat against Nadal, the 18-year-old tipped as the next big thing from the Iberian tennis factory. Nadal made Sanguinetti look his age in an hour, with the 75th-ranked Italian never showing the form which took him to the Vienna semifinals last weekend.
The 50th-ranked Nadal, who won his first career title over the summer on clay, moved into a match against American 14th seed Vince Spadea as he improved to 29-15 this season.
“It will be a difficult match, but I certainly have to do better than today,” said the Spaniard. “But this match has given me confidence. “I needed to win it after losing my last two.”
Nadal is among the biggest of fan favorites at the Rockodromo after his performance in lifting Spain in September’s Davis Cup semifinal over France and into a December showdown with the United States in Seville.
German Tommy Haas stretched his 2004 comeback effort, hammering home a 6-4, 6-1 win over Xavier Malisse in the first round.
Haas, winner of two titles this season — the second, in Los Angeles, earning him a dinner with his father’s childhood friend, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger — improved to 32-19 this season.
After missing all of 2003 through shoulder surgery, the 26-year-old is steadily climbing the rankings, currently standing 26th.
But Florida-based Haas, who has trained numerous times with Malisse at the Bollettieri academy, is hoping to maintain his momentum for a few more weeks until the regular ATP season ends.
Other winners included American Taylor Dent who overcame Russian Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-2 and Spain’s Fernando Verdasco who crushed Swedish veteran Jonas Bjorkman 6-1, 6-2. Croatian Ivan Ljubicic ousted Czech teenager Tomas Berdych 6-4, 6-4 and Argentine Guillermo Canas beat Belgian Kristian Vliegen 5-7, 7-5, 6-1.
Venus, Sugiyama Advance as Mauresmo Limps Out
In Zurich, Switzerland, Venus Williams survived a potentially difficult opening round at the $1.3 million WTA event in Zurich yesterday when she overcame Croatia’s Karolina Sprem 6-2, 6-2. Earlier ninth seed Ai Sugiyama won an all-Japanese battle with Shinobu Asagoe 6-2, 6-3 to advance to the second round of a tournament shorn of top seed Amelie Mauresmo who became the latest big name to withdraw.
In other first round action Russian eighth seed Nadia Petrova eased past American wild card Lisa Raymond 6-4, 6-3 and Paola Suarez of Argentina outlasted Croatia’s Jelena Kostanic 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
Mauresmo, who has not trained since picking up a hamstring injury in the final of Filderstadt ten days ago, withdrew as a “precautionary measure”, according to her press agent.
The Frenchwoman also pulled out of last week’s Moscow tournament where she lost her world number one ranking to Lindsay Davenport. Her withdrawal is a blow to organizers coming after No. 2 seed Davenport, who is suffering from a cold, and fellow American Serena Williams, the fifth seed, a recurring knee injury. Williams, seeded seven, would not have relished the prospect of facing the 19-year old Sprem. At the German Open in May the teenager led Williams 4-1 in the third set of their semi-final, and then claimed a 7-6, 7-6 second round victory over her at Wimbledon.
This time the American was never threatened against an aggressive but careless opponent who often over-hit the ball. Sprem also had difficulty with her serve at times, double-faulting twice as she dropped serve in the opening game to give Williams all the encouragement she needed.
Sprem might have made a fight of it after earning two break points to level at 3-3, but Williams held off the challenge and then broke for 5-2 when Sprem made a backhand error.
In the second set, Sprem failed again to win either of the two break points she held. The first came after Williams had broken for 2-1 by forcing a forehand error, but Sprem netted the ball. Williams then broke to love to lead 4-1 and saved a break point in the next game with an ace.
With Mauresmo’s defection world No. 5 Elena Dementieva becomes the top seeded player in a field which also includes fellow Russian and reigning Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova, with Mauresmo being replaced in the draw by compatriot Emilie Loit.
Sugiyama dominated early in her match as Asagoe failed to even earn a game point on her serve in the first set.
The second set was more competitive, with Asagoe holding serve and then breaking to lead 2-1 when Sugiyama netted a double-handed backhand after a furiously-contested rally.
But Sugiyama leveled at 2-2 when Asagoe struck her third double-fault, and she then earned a vital second break to lead 5-3 after Asagoe made a backhand error.
Even then, Sugiyama had to battle to close out the match, escaping a break point when Asagoe netted a backhand.
