France’s Gilles Simon piled more clay court misery on American Andy Roddick to advance to the second round of the Rome International ATP-WTA tournament here on Monday. The player from Nice came away 6-3, 6-3 winner against the number 12 seed and next meets either Argentine Ignacio Chela or American John Isner for a place in the next round. “I played a good match in difficult windy conditions,” said Simon.
“Even if Andy is more at ease on this fast surface, 6-3, 6-3 against him, for me, it’s a very good result. I’ve been playing good tennis for some weeks.” For Roddick it was a second first round clay-court exit in as many weeks after falling a week ago at the Madrid Open. “He moves very well, which you don’t want to see when you are short of matches like I was today, when you are not getting clean hits,” said Roddick. “We soon got into rallies and it became a battle striking the ball in movement, I was coming second sometimes.”
The 19th-ranked Simon broke twice to take the first set. The French player then recovered from an early break against him in the second set, reeling off four games before sealing victory 6-3 with his first match point after 82 minutes on court for his second win against Roddick in four matches. However there was bad news for fellow Frenchman Gael Monfils who was forced to withdraw from the tournament citing illness. “I’m not 100 percent, I don’t have any energy,” said 10th seed Monfils, who had been due to play Japan’s Kel Nishikori in the first round.
“I haven’t felt well for a week. I’ve caught something, I’m not sure what. I’m going to have tests to see what will happen.” Russia’s Igor Andreev advanced past Spaniard Pere Riba 6-4, 7-5 with France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus meeting later in an eagerly anticipated first-round clash. In the WTA event, China’s Peng Shuai fell in a tough three setter 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (9/7) to American Christia McHale. Spaniards Lourdes Dominguez and Anabel Medina Garrigues advanced to the second round. Dominguez beat Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova 6-1, 0-6, 7-6 (7/4) and Medina Garrigues saw off Swiss Patty Schnyder 6-3, 6-2. Czech Iveta Benesova also advanced past Argentina’s Gisela Dulko 6-2, 6-1.
Bartoli downs Spanish qualifier: Ninth-seeded Marion Bartoli of France beat Spanish qualifier Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-2, 6-3; and another Spanish qualifier, Anabel Medina Garrigues, eliminated 2005 runner-up Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-3, 6-2. Ekaterina Makarova of Russia beat last year’s surprise champion, Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain, 6-0, 5-7, 6-4, and Greta Arn of Hungary eliminated 11th-seeded and two-time finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova 3-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (9). The men’s and women’s tournaments are being played simultaneously at the Foro Italico for the first time in 33 years.
Results from the second day of
the ATP/WTA Italian Masters here on Monday (x denotes seeding):
Men (1st round):
Mardy Fish (USA x11) bt Santiago Giraldo (COL) 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Jarkko Nieminen (FIN) bt Adrian Mannarino (FRA) 7-5, 2-6, 6-3
Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) bt Victor Hanescu (ROM) 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (8/6)
Igor Andreev (RUS) bt Pere Riba (ESP) 6-4, 7-5
Gilles Simon (FRA) bt Andy Roddick (USA x12) 6-3, 6-3
Xavier Malisse (BEL) bt Guillermo García-López (ESP) 7-5, 6-2
Lukasz Kubot (POL) bt Pablo Cuevas (URU) 7-6 (7/1), 2-6, 6-2
Women (1st rd):
Alisa Kleybanova (RUS) bt Varvara Lepchenko (USA) 6-2, 6-2
Marion Bartoli (FRA x9) bt Arantxa Parra (ESP) 6-2, 6-3
Elena Vesnina (RUS) bt Tamira Paszek (AUT) 6-4, 6-4
Greta Arn (HUN) bt Svetlana Kuznetsova (RUS x11) 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (11/9)
Lourdes Dominguez (ESP) bt Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (CZE) 6-1, 0-6, 7-6 (7/4)
Iveta Benesova (CZE) bt Gisela Dulko (ARG) 6-2, 6-1
Anabel M Garrigues (ESP) bt Patty Schnyder (SUI) 6-3, 6-2
C McHale (USA) bt Shuai Peng (CHN) 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (9/7)
Vera Dushevina (RUS) bt Ayumi Morita (JPN) 6-3, 6-1
Ekaterina Makarova (RUS) bt Maria Jose Martinez (ESP) 6-0, 5-7, 6-4
Polona Hercog (SLO) bt Alexandra Dulgheru (ROM) 6-1, 7-5.
