Wednesday April 21, 2004

Ferrero crashes in Monaco

MONACO: Two-time defending champion and second seed Juan Carlos Ferrero crashed out of the Monte Carlo Masters here yesterday losing 6-2, 6-3 in the first round to Spanish countryman and wildcard Alex Corretja.

French Open champion Ferrero, who was the highest seeded player left in the tournament after the withdrawal of Andy Roddick, is now without a title since the Madrid Masters last October.

The defeat came less than a week after he had lost his grip on another title he possessed when he was a semi-final loser in Valencia.

His meek 68-minute defeat to the 30-year-old Corretja was only his second loss to his countryman in six meetings and such was the manner of his one-sided capitulation that there will be serious doubts over his ability to hang on to his Roland Garros crown next month.

It was only Corretja's fifth win in 2004 but it was he said his sweetest.

“I haven't had a good year at all but to come here and beat Juan-Carlos is great for me,” he said.

“However normally when you beat Juan-Carlos it means you are a long way into the tournament but this time it only means I have passed the first round ... there is much work to be done,” he added.

Ferrero was joined on the sidelines by another seeded player with Thailand's 10th seed Paradorn Srichaphan knocked out by Argentinian clay court specialist and weekend Estoril winner Juan Ignacio Chela 6-4, 6-3.

Unlike Ferrero, fellow ex-world number ones Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin staged stirring recoveries from a set down to reach the second round.

Hewitt defeated Frenchman Julien Benneteau 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 to claim his first career win here while Safin, a runner-up at Estoril last week, beat Belgium's Olivier Rochus 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

Hewitt, seeded 16, lost on his only other previous appearance in the first round in 2002 to Carlos Moya when he was top seed, and he appeared to be heading for another early exit Tuesday before he recovered after 1hr 48min to set up a second round match against Gaston Gaudio of Argentina.

“It's always tough to play your first match of the season on clay,” said Hewitt who is looking for his third title of the year after wins in Sydney and Rotterdam.

“It always takes Australians longer to get used to the clay. I got better today as the match went on. At the start I didn't really have the footing and I was a little too aggressive, maybe I should have worked the ball more.”

Safin, still feeling his way back after missing most of 2003 with a wrist injury, clinched his third career win over pint-sized Rochus who had stunned the giant Russian at Wimbledon in 2002.

His victory was a marathon affair taking 2hr 15min as he aims to improve on his best record here of reaching the quarter-finals in 2002.

Hewitt was joined in the second round by countryman Wayne Arthurs who defeated Frenchman Thierry Ascione 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 after reaching the main draw as a lucky loser when Roddick pulled out.

There were also wins for last year's French Open runner-up Martin Verkerk of Holland, the 14th seed, who beat Spain's Albert Portas 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, eighth seeded Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean saw off countryman Arnaud Clement 6-4, 6-2 while seventh seeded Argentinian David Nalbandian beat Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty 6-3, 6-0.

Spain's Carlos Moya, champion here in 1998, also made it through with a 7-6 (5-7), 1-6, 6-3 win against Armenia's Sargis Sargsian. – AFP

News Poll

Latest Jobs from Star-Jobs

Latest from StarProperty