Sportmaster International

Eight Australians in action
Former Australian Captain June 01, 2007

SAMANTHA Stosur headlines the eight Australians in action on day six of the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris.

Women’s singles
Round three
27-Samantha Stosur v 6-Nicole Vaidisova (Cze)
Second match court two

Men’s doubles first round
14-Ashley Fisher-Tripp Phillips (US) v Leos Friedl (Cze)-David Skoch (Cze)
First match court 16
Igor Kunitsyn (Rus)-Dmitry Tursunov (Rus) v James Auckland (GB)-Stephen Huss
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French Open, day five
Former Australian Captain June 01, 2007

FRENCH Open results on day five at Roland Garros in Paris.

Men’s singles (prefix number denotes seed)
Round two
16-Marcos Baghdatis (Cyp) d Kristian Pless (Den) 7-5 6-3 6-4
6-Novak Djokovic (Srb) d Laurent Recouderc (Fra) 6-3 3-6 6-3 6-1
20-Jarkko Nieminen (Fin) d Mathieu Montcourt (Fra) 6-1 6-1 6-4
Jan Hajek (Cze) d Bohdan Ulihrach (Cze) 1-6 6-2 7-6 (8-6) 3-6 6-2
14-Lleyton Hewitt (Aus) d Gaston Gaudio (Arg) 4-6 3-6 6-2 6-4 6-2
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Mauresmo survives French fight From correspondents in Paris, France
Former Australian Captain June 01, 2007

FORMER world No.1 Amelie Mauresmo has progressed to the third round at the French Open, but not before being taken to three sets by fellow Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy.

Mauresmo, the No.5 seed making her 13th consecutive appearance in her home grand slam, in which she has never gone beyond the quarter-finals, won the rain-delayed match 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 6-1.

The
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Paris - Two-time champion Rafael Nadal polished his record at the French Open to a 16-0 career sheen as he blasted into the third round over Italian Flavio Cipolla 6-2, 6-1, 6-4 on Thursday. World number two Nadal was untouchable against the 227th-ranked qualifier making his Grand Slam debut. Nadal is on course for a seeded final against Roger Federer, with much ground to cover over the next week if that dream match-up is to become reality. The Spanish ace has shrugged off Federer’s title victory in their recent Hamburg final, which ended 6-0
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Sharapova is not convinced she’s hitting form on the clay

“I feel terrible. I feel like a cow on ice.”

“I got to go to the grocery store and I had to cook my own breakfast and my lunch. The first time I went to the store, I was absolutely lost. Now I’ve got it under control. I know where the vegetables are, where my favorite cheese is, I’ve got it all going.”

“Everybody makes fun of me because of that, but yesterday I was a bit embarrassed. I was bouncing the ball, and then I had a bad bounce, and the ball went away, and everybody smiled.”
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Merciless Nadal storms through From correspondents in Paris, France
Former Australian Captain June 01, 2007

TWO-time defending French Open champion Rafael Nadal showed no mercy to Italian qualifier Flavio Cipolla today, sweeping him aside 6-2 6-1 6-4 to reach the third round at Roland Garros.

The world No.2 and No.2 seed, attempting to become the first man to win three successive titles at Roland Garros since Bjorn Borg in 1980, claimed immediate control of the match as he opened a 3-0 lead in the first set.

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Paris, France - Serbian Novak Djokovic was among the second-round winners on Thursday on the men’s side at the 2007 French Open.

The sixth-seeded Djokovic, who was a quarterfinalist here last year, defeated French qualifier Laurent Recouderc 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 to advance to the third round.

In a second-round showdown, former French Open champion and 14th-seeded Aussie Lleyton Hewitt rallied from a two-set deficit to come back and down Gaston Gaudio, 4-6, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-2. The former world No. 1 Hewitt is a two-time major titlist, while Gaudio captured his lone Grand Slam title at Roland Garros in 2004.

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Sharapova has twice reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros Second seed Sharapova took just over an hour to crush American Jill Craybas 6-2 6-1 and now meets fellow Russian Alla Kudryavtseva - a French Open debutante.Williams, the Australian Open champion, was held up for slightly longer.The eighth seed rattled through the first set but then had to recover from 0-3 down in the second before prevailing 6-0 7-6 (7-3).Seventh seed was also in a hurry to reach the third round
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Roche wants to coach Lleyton By Leo Schlink
Former Australian Captain June 01, 2007

TONY Roche has broken his silence to declare his interest in coaching Lleyton Hewitt in the wake of an acrimonious split from Roger Federer.

Roche, regarded as the finest coach in international tennis, refuses to elaborate on the reasons behind his dismissal from the Federer camp.

But sources point to Federer’s reluctance to pay Roche adequate bonuses - despite winning six of his 10 majors under the Sydneysider - as the main reason the pair fell out.

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Sharapova brushes aside Craybas From correspondents in Paris
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

WORLD No.2 Maria Sharapova advanced to the third round of the French Open with a crushing 6-2 6-1 win over seasoned American Jill Craybas.

Sharapova, who had struggled to beat France’s Emilie Loit in her first match here, needed just 64 minutes to brush aside her opponent.

The 32-year-old Craybas is ranked a modest 73rd in the world but is remembered for stunning Serena Williams in the third round at Wimbledon two years ago.

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This year’s French Open has been hit by bad weather Officials want to extend the Roland Garros complex in Paris and build a stadium with a roof.All but 14 matches on the opening two days of the 2007 French Open were washed out by rain.”The works could start in 2009,” said French Open general director Jean-Francois Vilotte on Thursday.”The first few days of the tournament, with heavy showers, have demonstrated the interest of having both a larger stadium and a centre court
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Still friends … Hewitt and Gaudio after the match . Pic: AFP Hewitt survives five-setter From correspondents in Paris
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

LLEYTON Hewitt likes nothing more than a dogfight, and that’s exactly what he got against 2004 champion Gaston Gaudio in their French Open second round match.

A trademark performance full of grit and unfailing self-belief allowed
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Hewitt took nearly three and a half hours to seal victory The 14th seed won 4-6 3-6 6-2 6-4 6-2 to book his place in the third round.Gaudio showed glimpses of the form which won him the title in 2004 as he took the first two sets, firing a series of spectacular backhand winners.But he wilted dramatically and Hewitt pounced, delivering an impressive 20 aces on his way to victory.Gaudio, 28, has hinted that this will be his last French Open and, after losing his way so spectacularly
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Czech seed knocks out Pratt
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

AUSTRALIAN Nicole Pratt bowed out of the French Open with a second-round defeat to No.25 seed Lucie Safarova. Safarova, from the Czech Republic, was far too strong for Pratt, winning easily 6-0 6-1.

It was the fifth time Pratt had reached the second round at Roland Garros, but she has never progressed any further.

The 34-year-old Queensland veteran, who is ranked No.45, overcame a strained arm muscle to beat Italy’s Flavia Pennetta 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 in the first round.

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French Open to get roof From correspondents in Paris
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

ROLAND Garros will eventually get a showcourt with a roof, French Open general director Jean-Francois Vilotte said.

A retractable roof to deal with capricious skies is a necessity but it will probably not be ready before the 2011 tournament, Vilotte said.

Rain washed away all but 14 matches on the opening two days of the clay court grand slam, frustrating fans, players and broadcasters alike.

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Ivanovic crushes injured Mirza From correspondents in Paris
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

INDIA’S Sania Mirza was sent packing from the French Open on Thursday losing 6-1 6-4 in just 64 minutes to Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic in a second round tie.

The 20-year-old from Hyderabad, who once again had heavy strapping around her right knee, was no match early on for the power-hitting of the No.7 seed and she ceded the first set in just 23 minutes.

She steadied
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Djokovic has already won three titles this season Novak Djokovic has been the rising star of men’s tennis over the last 12 months having moved from a world ranking of 63 at Roland Garros last year to a high of five this year.And the 20-year-old Serb scored his first win over one of the world’s top two in March when he beat Nadal to win his debut Masters Series title in Miami.He still has three losses to the Spaniard and four to Federer but his confidence remains high.”They
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Paris - Ruthless Roger Federer had his troubles in subduing a charged-up challenger Wednesday before moving into the third round of the French Open on another day of weather chaos. The Swiss top seed, bidding to complete his Grand Slam trophy collection with the Roland Garros title that has so far eluded him, was playing for the third straight day at the rain-marred event. The Swiss needed two days to complete an opening match but made up for lost time as he overcame Thierry Ascione 6-1, 6-2, 7-6 (10-8). Federer was on cruise control in heavy
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Eight Australians on day five
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

EIGHT Australian players will be in action on day five of the French Open in Paris tonight (AEST).

Men’s singles
Round two
14-Lleyton Hewitt v Gaston Gaudio (Arg)
First match, Court Philippe Chatrier

Women’s singles
Round two
Nicole Pratt v 25-Lucie Safarova (Cze)
Third match, court five

Men’s doubles
Round one
15-Todd Perry-Wesley Moodie (RSA) v Julien Benneteau (Fra)-Nicolas Mahut (Fra)
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French Open results, day four
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

FRENCH Open results, day four

Men’s singles (prefix number denotes seed)
Round one
Oscar Hernandez (Spa) d Juan-Pablo Guzman (Arg) 7-6 (7-4) 6-0 6-2
23-Carlos Moya (Spa) d Andreas Seppi (Ita) 6-1 3-6 6-3 2-6 6-0
6-Novak Djokovic (Srb) d Santiago Giraldo (Col) 6-3 7-6 (7-3) 6-4
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (Spa) d 10-Tomas Berdych (Cze) 7-5 6-4 6-4
Diego Hartfield (Arg) d Robby Ginepri (US) 6-4 1-6 5-7 6-4 6-2
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Federer defeats the ‘miracle man’ From correspondents in Paris, France
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

ROGER Federer survived a late hiccup before easing into the French Open third round today, defeating French wildcard Thierry Ascione 6-1 6-2 7-6 (10-8).

Federer, bidding to win the only grand slam crown to elude him, needed six match points to set up a tie against Italian player Potito Starace for a place in the last 16.

The world No.1 and No.1 seed was
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Djokovic is through to the second round in Paris Djokovic is currently playing at the French Open, while fellow 20-year-old Murray has been sidelined since 15 May.”You’ve got to take care of your body and I think he’s learned the lesson now,” Djokovic told BBC Sport. “Obviously he was not taking care of his body and he’s got the injury which brought him a lot of negative things.”Djokovic has a 3-0 career record against Murray and looking ahead to future encounters with the
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Stosur … overcame a strong recovery from Kirilenko. Pic: Reuters Sam battles into third round From Valkerie Mangnall in Paris, France
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

SAMANTHA Stosur fought back after a rain delay to win through to the third round at the French Open with a 6-1 3-6 7-5 victory over Maria Kirilenko today.

Stosur, the No.27 seed from Australia, was by far the better
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Paris - Maria Sharapova put Russia on a roll at the weather-plagued French Open while local heroine Amelie Mauremso got off to her best start in years at the home Grand Slam on a wet Wednesday. Second seed Sharapova is relying on her steely nerve and fighting heart to see her through as she plays with a right shoulder full of pain-killing cortisone. She booked a 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) victory over Emilie Loit in a blustery chill on a heavy court, reaching the second round wearing the knee-length leggings favoured on the day by several women players.
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Henin suppresses Austrian teen From Allan Kelly in Paris, France
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

JUSTINE Henin, the No.1 seed and defending champion, saw off a spirited challenge from the youngest player in the women’s draw today to move closer to her dream of winning a third successive French Open crown.

The Belgian, seeking to emulate Monica Seles, the last woman to achieve a Roland Garros hat-trick, in 1992, seemed to be coasting through her second-round tie when she sped to a 5-0 lead in the first set against 16-year-old Austrian Tamira Paszek.

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Record-breaking Venus lifts spirits From Pritha Sarkar in Paris, France
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

VENUS Williams unleashed the fastest serve by a woman at a grand slam as she kept the Stars and Stripes fluttering at the French Open.

Just hours after Robby Ginepri’s 4-6 6-1 7-5 4-6 2-6  defeat by Diego Hartfield from Argentina condemned the American men to their worst showing at Roland Garros for 40 years, Williams lit up a dank Court Suzanne Lenglen with a 206km/h thunderbolt.

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Murray and Butorac have won two hardcourt tournaments this year Murray and American partner Eric Butorac lost their first-round clash against Czech Tomas Cibulec and Jordan Kerr of Australia 7-6 (10-8) 6-3.Murray and Butorac have won two ATP Tour events this year but failed to hit top gear at Roland Garros.”It was a tough match. We didn’t play our best and it did not quite happen, but we will be back,” he said.”It is the first time we have played a full season on clay, and
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Having just turned 20 years of age, Novak Djokovic is a young dedicated Serbian tennis player, playing in the premier tournament of men’s tennis, the ATP Masters Series of events. A very good player on all surfaces, his best results have come from playing on hard courts. Having started the tennis season of 2007 very much in form and climbing the ATP rankings ladder, with a current position of number five, , it will be interesting to see how Djokovic performs under pressure in the French Open Grand Slam Tournament, which is to start in only a couple of weeks from now.

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Ginepri completes US nightmare From Pritha Sarkar in Paris, France
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

THE US, once a powerhouse in men’s tennis, sunk to a new low overnight as it was left without a male in the second round of the French Open for the first time in 40 years.

Nine Americans walked entered Roland Garros with hopes of ending their nation’s four-year wait for a men’s grand slam title.

By day four, hoever, even before first-round action had ended, they were hanging their heads in shame as they all trooped out of Paris.

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Safin dumped in straight sets From Martyn Herman in Paris, France
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

MARAT Safin has cast doubt over the longevity of his tennis career after his French Open came to a drizzly end with a straight-sets defeat by Janko Tipsarevic.

The charismatic Russian, the No.22 seed, seemed ill at ease on the damp red clay as he succumbed 6-4 6-4 7-5 under grey skies and light rain at Roland Garros.

The dual grand slam champion and former
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Pratt in second round once again
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

AUSTRALIA’S Nicole Pratt cruised into the second round of the French Open with a 7-6 (7-3) 6-2 win over Flavia Pennetta today.

Pratt has now reached the second round at Roland Garros five times, but she is yet to progress further.

She will next meet No.25 seed Lucie Safarova from the Czech Republic, who defeated Yulia Beygelzimer from Ukraine 6-4 6-3.

Pennetta, the world No.67 from Italy,
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Tennis Australia hits rebound ace Comment by Leo Schlink
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

AFTER more than a decade of shameful neglect, Tennis Australia’s new administration has moved to save its sport.

Once the envy of other tennis nations, Australia’s slide towards oblivion has been excruciatingly painful.

The decision to move to Plexicushion courts for the Australian Open is a watershed. It comes 19 years after grass was consigned to the past and succeeded by a surface that drew condemnation.

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C’mon … the decibels on Hewitt’s are increasing markedly. Pic: AFP Lleyton thinking he can win From Paul Kent in Paris, France
Former Australian Captain May 31, 2007

THE “C’mon” count has reached nine, but, given the form of Lleyton Hewitt, it could be in the stratosphere by the time this French Open is over.

Hewitt committed murder by suicide in the first round yesterday, dismantling Max Mirnyi’s game so systematically that the big-serving Belarussian finished the job for him.

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Sharapova leads Russian charge From correspondents in Paris
Former Australian Captain May 30, 2007

NO.2 seed Maria Sharapova showed no signs of the shoulder injury that has dogged her for most of this year as she made a winning start to her French Open campaign.

She beat France’s Emilie Loit 6-3 7-6 in 1 hr 50 mins and will play veteran American Jill Craybas for a place in the third round.

There were straight set wins also for Sharapova’s third seeded compatriot
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Paris, France - Former World No. 1 Marat Safin bowed out of the French Open on Wednesday.The 22nd-seeded Safin, a two-time major titlist, lost his second-round match to Serbia’s Janko Tipsarevic in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4, 7-5. The Russian star squandered an early lead on another rainy day in the French capital.In other action, sixth-seeded Novak Djokovic took his first-round match by disposing of Columbian Santiago Giraldo, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4, while No. 10 Tomas Berdych of the Czech Republic fell to Spainiard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in straight
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Safin suffered a first-round exit at the French Open last year The former world number one surrendered an early lead on his way to losing the first set and was unable to find his best form as he went two sets down.Safin spurned two break points at 4-4 in the third before Tipsarevic sealed the win on his first match point.Sixth seed Novak Djokovic finally completed his first-round match, beating Santiago Giraldo 6-3 7-6 6-4. of Spain caused a shock, defeating 10th seed Tomas
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Sharapova has not gone further than the quarter-finals at Roland Garros The 20-year-old Russian has had her season disrupted by injury and looked rusty against a determined opponent.Former French Open champion Anastasia Myskina crashed out in the first round after suffering a 6-1 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Meghann Shaughnessy.The Russian was undone by repeated mistakes, making 13 in the second set.Myskina won the French Open in 2004 but has slipped to 51st in the world
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Myskina thrashed in 38 minutes From correspondents in Paris
Former Australian Captain May 30, 2007

FORMER champion Anastasia Myskina’s French Open challenge lasted just 38 forgettable minutes after she was embarrassed 6-1 6-0 in the first round by American Meghann Shaughnessy.

Myskina, the first Russian woman to lift a grand slam title when she triumphed in 2004, almost skipped the tournament due to injuries and a wretched run of form.

The Russian probably wished
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Molik downed in straight sets
Former Australian Captain May 30, 2007

ALICIA Molik admitted she may never break back into the world’s top 10 after her straight sets defeat to Anna Chakvetadze in the French Open first round.

The Australian went down 6-2 6-3 in heavy, overcast conditions and subsequently cast doubts on whether she’d ever be able to match the world No.8 ranking she achieved before a chronic ear infection wiped her out of the game for much of 2005.

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Hewitt has long been a critic of Melbourne’s Rebound Ace surface The court speed will continue to play medium to medium-fast, but will be firmer and have lower heat retention.Tournament director Craig Tiley also said the new surface will have more consistent pace and bounce.Australian former US Open and Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt has long been a critic of the Rebound Ace surface.The 26-year-old says a faster court would improve his chances of winning his home event.But
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