Agassi struggles in San Jose
SAN JOSE (California): Andre Agassi made a triumphant start to his bid for a record sixth ATP San Jose title here on Tuesday while another American, Vince Spadea, spoiled the ATP return of Germany's Tommy Haas.
Second seed Agassi dispatched Georgia's Irakli Labadze 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 in a first-round match at the US$380,000 ATP event, booking a second-round date against South Africa's Wesley Moodie.
Sixth-seeded Spadea defeated Haas 6-4, 6-2, in the German's first ATP match since Oct 31 2002, due to a variety of injuries. Haas, 25, received a wild-card entry into the indoor tournament.
Haas, who reached a career-high second in the ATP rankings in May of 2002, had not played a tour match since losing to Swiss star Roger Federer in the third round of the Tennis Masters Series Paris event two years ago.
Haas missed the entire 2003 season after right rotator cuff surgery in December of 2002 and an arthroscopic operation on his right shoulder last July.
Spadea will face either South Korea's Lee Hyung-taik or Belgium's Xavier Malisse in the second round.
Third seed Mardy Fish and fifth-seed Robby Ginepri, who played on the triumphant US Davis Cup team last week in a first-round tie, each advanced to the second round by beating compatriots in straight sets Tuesday.
Fish took his first ATP triumph of the year by beating Alex Reichel 6-1, 6-4 to set up a second-round match against Denmark's Kenneth Carlsen, who ousted Austrian Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.
Ginepri, who reached his first fourth round at a Grand Slam in the Australian Open last month, defeated Cecil Mamiit 6-4, 6-3 to book a date with France's Cyril Saulnier, who ousted American Brian Vahaly 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).
n MILAN: Former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic needed three sets to shake off Bohdan Ulihrach and book his place in the second round of the men's ATP indoor tennis tournament here on Tuesday.
The 32-year-old big-serving Croat, playing his first competitive match since last June, scraped through 7-6 (7-2), 3-6, 7-6 (7-3) in a thrilling first round encounter against the spirited Czech.
Ivanisevic, who has been plagued by a left shoulder injury since his Wimbledon triumph in 2001, will now meet Tommy Robredo.
The Spanish number three seed defeated compatriot Alex Corretja in straight sets.
In other matches, Swiss qualifier Ivo Heuberger ousted Spain's Alberto Martin, Swede Thomas Johansson beat Russian Nikolay Davydenko and France's Gregory Carraz saw off Italian Vincenzo Santopadre.
Czech number one seed Jiri Novak was forced to pull out of the tournament through injury and his place was taken by Italian Daniele Bracciali, who will play Dutchman Raemon Sluiter. – AFP
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