Kuerten claims round-robin berth
Kuerten claims round-robin berth 
From Simon Cambers in Las Vegas
Former Australian Captain February 27, 2007
FORMER world No.1 Gustavo Kuerten has claimed his first hardcourt victory for 18 months to book a place in the round-robin section of the Channel Open in Las Vegas.
The Brazilian defeated Wesley Moodie from South Africa 6-4 7-5 today.
Australia’s No.2 Chris Guccione failed to progress, however.
Guccione who advanced to the main draw elimination round
as a lucky loser after falling to Moodie in the final round of qualifying, failed to make best use of his fortune, losing to Feliciano Lopez from Spain 6-4 3-6 7-6 (8-6).
Guccione’s exit leaves Lleyton Hewitt to fly the Australian flag at the hybrid tournament.
Hewitt, who lost last year’s final to James Blake, opens his campaign tomorrow against Vince Spadea from the US.
Thomas Johansson, the 2002 Australian Open champion who has slipped to No.92 in the world rankings, also advanced to the round-robin stage today, defeating Bjorn Phau from Germany 4-6 6-4 6-1.
Kuerten, 30, who played just one match last year after undergoing hip surgery, made light of gusting winds to seal his second win in three ATP Tour matches this year.
The three-time French Open champion dropped out of the world’s top 1000 before bouncing back to No.804 after winning a match at the Brazil Open earlier this month.
He will join Benjamin Becker from German and Jan Hernych from the Czech Republic in one of the eight round-robin groups - from which the group winners progress to the quarter-finals.
“It’s a really good feeling,” Kuerten said today.
“To be around again, back in tournaments.
“It’s more than one and a half years since I played four matches in one week.
“That’s what I am looking forward to.”
Kuerten, who has also been given a wildcard for the Masters Series tournament in Indian Wells next week, is concerned more with playing matches than with winning matches at this stage of his comeback.
“My level will rise a lot playing in tournaments.
“I am looking forward to see what happens, work on my game, not care too much about getting results, but play from here to Miami with no major problems, and get more confidence.”
Fernando Verdasco from Spain, Paul Goldstein from the US and Juan Martin del Potro from Argentina meanwhile won the three round-robin matches played today.
Verdasco and Goldstein defeated French players, beating Paul-Henri Mathieu 3-6 6-3 7-5 Julien Benneteau 6-1 6-0 respectively, while del Potro crushed Evgeny Korolev from Russia 6-3 6-2.
AAP