INDIAN WELLS, California, 15 March 2005 — Amelie Mauresmo’s bid to regain the world No. 1ranking took a knock when she lost 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 to Russian teenager Evgenia Linetskaya in the third round of the Pacific Life Open yesterday.
In the men’s tournament, top seed and defending champion Roger Federer began his campaign in the Masters Series event with a 6-3, 6-3 second round triumph over American Mardy Fish.
Second seed Lleyton Hewitt beat American Robby Ginepri 6-2, 7-6 while Marat Safin survived two match points before overcoming Finland’s Jarkko Neimenen 4-6, 6-1, 7-5.
Linetskaya, who lost to Mauresmo at the Australian Open in January, clinched victory when she put away a volley.
Mauresmo had a chance to regain the top ranking from Lindsay Davenport here but is now in danger of losing her No. 2 spot to Maria Sharapova. “It’s a big disappointment, especially having played the way I did today,” Mauresmo said. Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva put out France’s Severine Beltrame 5-7, 6-3, 7-6 and 2003 champion Kim Clijsters continued to look impressive in her comeback from wrist surgery, beating Russia’s Anna Chakvetadze 6-1, 7-6.
