BARCELONA, 21 April 2005 — Top seed Marat Safin was dumped out of the Barcelona Open by Argentine Jose Acasuso 6-4, 6-4 in the second round yesterday.
The big Russian, who won the Australian Open at the start of the year but has gone off the boil since, found himself up against it from the start against his determined and highly focused opponent.
Acasuso now faces a third-round contest with Swiss qualifier Stanislas Wawrinka, who beat Paradorn Srichaphan 1-6, 6-3, 7-6.
Earlier, Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal issued a warning to his rivals that he is the player to beat with a merciless 6-0, 6-2 second-round destruction of Gilles Muller.
Nadal, who is at a career-high No. 11 in the rankings, will now face a third-round match against Dominik Hrbaty. The Slovakian beat Italy’s Potito Starace 6-3, 6-2.
Coria fought off a strong challenge from big-serving Dutchman Peter Wessels to earn a 6-2, 6-7, 6-4 victory.
The fourth-seeded Argentine was joined in the third round by an improving Juan Carlos Ferrero, who eased to a 6-4, 6-4 win over Feliciano Lopez in one of the day’s two all-Spanish showdowns.
Defending champion Tommy Robredo, however, went down 6-1 6-4 to fellow Spaniard Alberto Martin. Coria faces a tricky match in the third round against compatriot Agustin Calleri, who edged a tightly contested all-Argentine duel against Juan Ignacio Chela 6-3, 6-7, 7-6.
Ferrero had far less problems in his match against Davis Cup team mate Lopez.
Agassi Needs Second-Set
Tie-Breaker; Roddick Breezes
In Raleigh, North Carolina, Second-seeded Andre Agassi needed a second-set tie-breaker to wrap up his match after top-seed Andy Roddick won easily in the opening round of the US Clay Court Championships at Houston, Texas, on Tuesday.
The 34-year-old Agassi dominated the opening set against Czech Michal Tabara but had to work in the second set to claim a 6-2, 7-6 victory.
“The second set could have gone either way,” said two-time champion Agassi, who is making his first clay-court appearance of the season.
Roddick turned back American qualifier Matias Boeker in straight sets, 6-2 6-3.
“I had one sloppy game where I missed a couple of balls I felt I should have made, but overall it was a solid performance,” said Roddick, the runner-up in Houston the past two years.
Defending champion and third-seeded Tommy Hass of Germany also won. He defeated Belgian Kristof Vliegen 6-3, 7-5.
