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Guga Elected to Hall — Mondays With Bob Greene

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STARS

BNP Paribas at Indian Wells, California, USA
(First Week)

Christina McHale beat third-seeded Petra Kvitova 2-6 6-2 6-3

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez beat fourth-seeded Andy Murray 6-4 6-2

SAYING

“Today I was a shadow of myself. I didn’t feel like I did anything right.” – Jelena Jankovic, after being upset 6-4 6-3 by Jamie Hampton at Indian Wells.

“I have to go away and think about what happened.” – Andy Murray, after losing 6-4 6-2 to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

“I don’t like to be out there for too long if I don’t have to. I like to play tennis and I love grinding it out, but if I have the opportunity to finish it off fast, I like that opportunity as well.” – Caroline Wozniacki, after beating Ekaterina Makarova in just over an hour.

“We didn’t play a beautiful match and there were a lot of unforced errors, but look, it’s the opening match of the tournament for me and I am getting used to the conditions and the court.” – Novak Djokovic, following his victory over Andrey Golubev.

“It’s not easy to be back after a while without competition, but I did really well. I started the match very focused, very aggressive. I’m very happy about almost everything.” – Rafael Nadal, after winning his opening match at Indian Wells.

“It’s always tough to play a same-country player because we know each other a lot. We stay in the national teams so we practice every day and travel all of the time, so it’s very tough. But I was so happy because it’s the first time I beat her.” – Li Na, after beating fellow Chinese Zheng Jie 6-1 6-3.

SUPER GUGA

Gustavo Kuerten (Getty Images)

Gustavo “Guga” Kuerten is the newest member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. A three-time French Open champion, Kuerten is the second Brazilian to be inducted into the Newport, Rhode Island, USA, shrine, joining 1978 Hall of Famer Maria Bueno. Winner of Roland Garros in 1997, 2000 and 2001, Kuerten’s induction was announced in São Paulo, Brazil. Bueno was on hand for the announcement. “I was inspired by lots of great tennis players, like Maria Esther Bueno and Thomas Koch, two of the biggest Brazilian tennis players, and I have also always greatly admired Hall of Famers including (Bjorn) Borg, (John) McEnroe, (Pete) Sampras and (Andre) Agassi,” Kuerten said. “To be honored in the same category as those great players is amazing.” He also reached the French Open quarterfinals in 1999 and 2004, was a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon in 1999, at the US Open in 1999 and 2001, and at the Sydney Olympics in 2000. In 2000, Kuerten became the first South American to finish the year number one in the world in the history of the ATP World Tour rankings since they began in 1973. A panel of international tennis media selected the 35-year-old Kuerten for induction in the Recent Player Category. A 75 percent favorable vote is required for induction. Previous announced inductees in the Class of 2012 include Spanish great Manuel Orantes in the Master Player Category; tennis administrator and promoter Mike Davies in the Contributor Category; and Randy Snow, who was elected posthumously in the Recent Player Category for his accomplishments as a wheelchair tennis player.

STORMY EXIT

There apparently is no such thing as a smooth start for Andy Murray. The Scot hit an unexpected road bump when he was upset 6-4 6-2 by Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in a second-round match in Indian Wells. Ranked fourth in the world, it’s the second straight year he has stumbled in the California desert. Last year he was eliminated by American qualifier Donald Young. “I have to go away and think about what happened,” Murray said after his latest loss. “I played great in practice, was hitting the ball really well. I felt pretty fresh. … It almost felt like playing the match on a clay court. I wasn’t able to hit through the court and I squandered so many chances.”

SICK BAY

At least six players were felled in the first week of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells by a viral infection that has swept through the California desert. Frenchman Gael Monfils pulled out of the tournament because of stomach problems, as did American Vania King. King, who won her first WTA title in Paris last month, had already won two matches, so her withdrawal advanced Angelique Kerber of Germany into the fourth round with the walkover. Earlier, Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber, Italy’s Andreas Seppi, Slovakia’s Magdalena Rybarikova and American Bethanie Mattek-Sands all suffered from stomach bugs. Health officials in the Palm Springs, California, area, said the virus had spread across the Coachella Valley, resulting in symptoms of nausea, vomiting, fever and diarrhea. “It (the virus) is self-limited and lasts between 24 and 48 hours,” the Eisenhower Medical Center said in a statement. “It is transmitted by air and direct contact and not passed via food. … We have seen increases in overall visits to the emergency department by about 15 percent over the past week. We have seen fans and players at the tournament experience these symptoms as well.”

STRONG SHOWING

Leander Paes chalked up another milestone when he captured the 600th doubles win of his career. That came when Paes and his Czech partner Radek Stepanek won their first-round match in Indian Wells, California, USA, by outplaying unseeded Spaniards David Ferrer and Albert Ramos 6-3 6-3. Paes, who will be 39 in June, and Stepanek won the Australian Open doubles in January. The veteran Indian, who turned pro in 1991, has a 600-311 doubles record overall. He won the Indian Wells doubles in 2007 when he teamed with Martin Damm.

STRAIGHT SET SHOCKER

Jelena Jankovic said fatigue played as much in her losing as did the game of her conqueror, American Jamie Hampton. “I am feeling jet-lagged and have allergies here and there,” the 12th-seeded Jankovic said. “I went on court and I expected much more from myself, but it didn’t happen.” Jankovic flew to Indian Wells from Southeast Asia, arriving in the California desert four days before her first match. Once ranked number one in the world, the Serb won the Indian Wells title two years ago. She reached the semifinals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, before heading to the United States. The 22-year-old Hampton fired three aces in the match and clinched the win when Jankovic pushed a forehand wide.

SET TO MOVE

Johan Kriek is moving again, this time to Charlotte, North Carolina, where he will open a junior tennis academy. A native of South Africa, Kriek won the Australian Open in 1981 and 1982. He moved to Florida and became a United States citizen. He and his wife Daga had a tennis academy for three years in Sarasota, Florida. About 18 months ago they moved their academy to Roanoke, Virginia. Now he plans to move to Charlotte with his family in May. “It’s 100 percent now, we’re coming,” Kriek told The Observer newspaper in Charlotte. “I’ve always liked Charlotte and have some connections there and I think this academy is something the tennis community in Charlotte could really use.” Now 53, Kriek will partner with Charlotte Indoor Tennis Club. He plans on teaching between 24 and 32 students. During his career he posted victories over John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Andre Agassi and Jimmy Connors.

STILL WAITING

John Laffnie de Jager, who captains both the South African Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams, is still waiting for his top players to commit to the international team competition. Both Kevin Anderson and Chani Scheepers have yet to confirm their availability. “I’m still expecting Anderson and Scheepers to come up with positive replies for the respective Davis Cup tie against Slovenia in Soweto and the Euro-Africa Group Two Fed Cup playoffs in Egypt,” de Jager said. A strong incentive exists for both to play, since that could make them eligible to compete in this year’s London Olympics. Ranked 30th in the world, Anderson would almost certainly gain a spot in the Olympics. Scheepers’ situation is not as clear-cut. She would still not have fulfilled the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) requirement to make herself available for Fed Cup in at least two of the past five years. But should Scheepers play in this year’s Fed Cup, she could apply for special dispensation to be included in the Olympics.

SAYING GOODBYE

Ivan Ljubicic is calling it a career. The 32-year-old Croatian right-hander says he will retire from the sport following the Monte Carlo Masters in April. Ljubicic has won 10 titles since turning professional in 1998, and reached a career-high ranking of third in the world in May 2006. Two years ago he won Indian Wells, California, USA, by beating Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick. Ljubicic also was part of Croatia’s Davis Cup-winning team in 2005, and in 2004 he teamed with Mario Ancic to win a bronze medal in doubles at the Athens Olympics.

SIGNED UP

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be seeking his first grass court title when he plays the AEGON Championships in London in June. Currently ranked sixth in the world, Tsonga last year lost to Andy Murray in the final. Agreeing to return to Queens Club this year, Tsonga said the event last year was a turning point for him. He went on to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon and the title match at the ATP World Tour Finals at the end of the year. “I had an incredible year in 2011, and it all started there (at Queens Club),” Tsonga said. “I beat Lleyton Hewitt there in 2007 to get into the Top 100 for the first time.”

SCHEDULE SET FOR SERENA

The only World TeamTennis appearance for Serena Williams with the defending champion Washington Kastles will be on July 22 before she heads to the London Olympics. Williams will play in the nation’s capital against the Kansas City Explorers. Venus Williams of the Kastles will take on Martina Hingis of the New York Sportimes on July 23 in Albany, New York, USA, and then will play a home match the next night. Others scheduled to play WTT matches include Lindsay Davenport and John Isner. The eight-team league runs from July 9-28, with the WTT finals scheduled to be held September 14-16 in Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

SURFING

Indian Wells: www.bnpparibasopen.com/
Nassau: www.thebahamasopen.com
Dallas: www.dallastennisclassic.com/
Guadalajara: www.jalisco-open.com/
Miami: www.sonyericssonopen.com
Stockholm: www.kingsoftennis.com
Zurich: www.zurichopen.net

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

MEN

$4,694,969 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (second week)
$125,000 Dallas Tennis Classic, Dallas, Texas, USA
$100,000 Aeromexico Jalisco Open, Guadalajara, Mexico, hard

WOMEN

$5,536,664 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (second week)
$100,000 The Bahamas Open, Nassau, Bahamas, hard

SENIORS

Kings of Tennis by Index International, Stockholm, Sweden, hard

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

MEN

$3,973,050 Sony Ericsson Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (first week)

WOMEN

$4,828,050 Sony Ericsson Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (first week)

SENIORS

BNP Paribas Zurich Open, Zurich, Switzerland, hard

Sizing up Ryan Harrison’s progress following Indian Wells run

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Just looking at Ryan Harrison or poring over his numbers does little or nothing to excite comparisons with the last American teenager to launch a top-10 career — Andy Roddick.

Roddick is taller by a couple inches, physically stronger and regularly pounds serves in the 130s. Also, Roddick was already ranked in the mid-40s when he was as old as Harrison, who is now 18 years and 10 months and ranked No. 152. Moreover, Roddick had earlier success in major ATP tournaments than Harrison has had. And Roddick five months before his 19th birthday had beaten Pete Sampras, at Key Biscayne in 2001.

But watching this young man throughout this Indian Wells 1000 tournament, there are instantly things about him which remind you of Roddick at 18.

Ryan Harrison

Like Roddick, he is intensely competitive, and, like Roddick, it’s undeniable that he is narrowly focused on maximizing his potential. There are dozens of extremely talented players who will tell you how committed they are. Very few, in fact, really are committed enough to reach top 10.

There are U.S. players, most notably Mardy Fish and Sam Querrey, who were not sufficiently committed to achieving elite status when they were as young as Harrison. And Taylor Dent, though I think he badly wanted to be great, could have been a lot more committed to his physical training when he was a teenager.

None of that is not going to be a worry with Harrison, who quite obviously has invested himself completely in tennis, both on and off the court. That doesn’t guarantee greatness, but it’s a critical foundation and, combined with his talent, I think Harrison is going to have a major future on the ATP tour.

He won three rounds at Indian Wells, defeating Jeremy Chardy, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and, in his biggest win to date, Milos Raonic. He went out in the round of 16 to Roger Federer, but played pugnacious, no-intimidation tennis in a 7-6, 6-3 loss.

It was particularly gratifying to see Harrison’s performance vs. Federer because it was in such sharp contrast to what we got from another aspiring American, Donald Young, who, after upsetting No. 5 Andy Murray, was heavily disappointing in a bad loss to Tommy Robredo.

The most important thing we got out of Harrison in the Federer match was competitiveness, a word that too often gets lost among the various analyses of a players’ forehands, backhands or services. There are no mechanics involved with “competitiveness” and it’s largely intangible. It’s about how badly you want to win.

I love the tangibles in Harrison’s game — his balance, his running, his solid baseline play off both sides, his surprising aggressiveness in coming to net. But if there is one thing I value about Harrison’s game above everything else, it’s his competitiveness.

He loves to compete, and don’t ever under-value that quality.

Where can he improve? Everywhere. His height is fine at 6-feet and he appears to have a physically strong base — the all-important lower body. But he can get a lot stronger, and he will.

Service: He’s capable of snapping off some 130s, but he hits his firsts more generally in the 110-116 range. As he gets stronger, his service speed will increase. Second serve is good, hardly great, but he backs it up well with his first ground stroke off the returns.

Forehand: Big, penetrating and accurate. Looks like a young Jim Courier out there with his penchant for inside-outs.

Backhand: Farther along at this point than Roddick’s was at 18. He’s got a backhand-down-the-line and he’s not afraid to use it. I’m not sure he’s afraid to use anything in the tennis arsenal. He should develop a more effective slice approach if he’s going to continue to press forward to the net.

Return of serve: For one so young, it’s excellent. Sees the ball quickly, blocks back the tough first serves that leave you no time to set up. Good first step to the ball.

Inside the service line: This category includes not just his volleying but those annoying short balls with low bounces that can be very difficult to lift and fire deep for winners. He made one particularly impressive backhand half-volley against Raonic that told you how quick his hands are, but, on balance, his volleying has a long way to go. That’s not a problem, though, because he’s a WILLING volleyer. Unlike too many players at this age, he wants to get to net. He wants to volley, and that’s half or maybe even more than half the battle to becoming an outstanding volleyer.

Coachability: Obviously very high. His father put in the foundation of his game, but the time has come to pass Ryan on to a full-time traveling coach, though the family isn’t sure who that will be. Certainly there are candidates out there and, because Ryan trains at the IMG Bollettieri Academy in Bradenton, Fl., there will be no lack of interim help. Personally, I’d like to see what Todd Martin, the retired former U.S. top 10, could do for him.

Ryan takes 90 ranking points out of Indian Wells and that should shoot him up to low 120s from his current No. 152. The next stop is Key Biscayne, which is where Roddick, at 18, had his first successes, beating Marcelo Rios and Sampras on the way to the quarters.

Maybe this will be coming-out party for Harrison, too. But do yourself and Ryan a favor. Don’t call him “the next great American tennis star.” Just let him develop on his own schedule.

Roddick’s Injury Frustrations Continue

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Shanghai-ed again!

For the second year in a row, Andy Roddick has been injured at the ATP 1000 Masters event in Shanghai, China, and this time he really sounds flustered.

“It’s not even that. . .I mean . . .  it’s been just a really frustrating year,” he said not long after quitting with a 6-3, 2-3 lead over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the third round. “It’s not even that. I mean, it’s been just a really frustrating year, you know. Missed three months at the end of last year, the mono in the middle of this year, little things like that.”

Andy Roddick

The injury isn’t as bad as the one that finished his season a year ago, but, for Roddick, it’s the latest setback in a year that started brilliantly and which has turned into one problem after another.

This time it’s an adductor muscle high in the right leg, which he reinjured at 1-2 in the second set. As Garcia-Lopez brushed a drop shot from the baseline, Roddick stood at the back on his side, just watching and looking very despondent. You knew something was wrong.

Last year it was a serious knee injury that ended his season, but he should be back within three weeks from this. At least, that’s his best guess before an MRI determines the full extent of the damage.

That would put Andy into the tournament at Basel, Switzerland, on Nov. 1 and the Paris Masters a week later and leave him with a good opportunity of reaching the eight-man World Tour Championships in London in late November.

He’s currently in the eighth position, but comfortably ahead of Fernando Verdasco, who lost in his opening match at Shanghai to Thiemo de Bakker. So Verdasco won’t be closing ground.

Roddick started the year by winning Brisbane and 28 of is first 32 matches, including a title at Key Biscayne and a runner-up finish at Indian Wells. He’s only 15-9 since.

“I feel like I’ve had two or three legitimate months,” said Roddick. “Today, I felt, even in the first round (against Philipp Kohlschriber) I was hitting the ball great. Unfortunatley, the thing with that area of the leg is you’re prone to (rehurt it) if it’s not healthy. I did this last week against Gael Monfils in Tokyo. Last couple of days in practice, I feel like I’ve been moving like an elephant — kind of slow, just trying to protect it. I didn’t have full confidence, but it was holding on.”

After re-damaging the leg in the second set Wednesday night, Roddick said it got to a point where “moving at all felt like I was getting stabbed in the leg. It’s just frustrating. You want to get a little bit of momentum. . .I just feel like I haven’t been able to do that since April or May. A lot of it has been out of my hands. It’s just frustrating.”

Roddick is coming home to Austin, Texas, and an early guess is that he’ll not be able to get on court for at least a week to 10 days.

Mondays with Bob Greene: Caroline Wozniacki Wins Toray Pan Pacific

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STARS

Caroline Wozniacki beat Elena Dementieva 1-6 6-2 6-3 to win the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan

Mikhail Youzhny beat Andrey Golubev 6-7 (7) 6-3 7-6 (3) to win the Malaysian Open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez beat Jarkko Nieminen 6-4 3-6 6-4 to win the PTT Thailand Open in Bangkok, Thailand

Alberta Brianti beat Magdalena Rybarikova 6-4 6-4 to win the ITF Ningho 2010 in Ningho, China

John McEnroe beat Guy Forget 7-5 7-4 to win the Trophee Jean-Luc Lagardere in Paris, France
SAYINGS

“I have never beaten a number one player in the world before. I’ve beaten some good Top 10 players, but never a number one. I think it was the best match of my career.” – Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, after upsetting top-ranked Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the PTT Thailand Open.

“I had a lot of break point chances in the second set, too many chances. He played a great match especially in the third set, but I was playing better than him in the beginning. I didn’t play the break points well. With 26 opportunities to break you have to take your chances. It’s a difficult loss to accept.” – Rafael Nadal, after losing to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

“It meant a lot to win. It was exciting, the atmosphere was electric and people were pumped up. Not as pumped up as I was though.” – John McEnroe, after defeating Ivan Lendl in an ATP Champions event in Paris, France.

“You cannot not play and then all of a sudden play great.” – Ivan Lendl, after losing his ATP Champions Tour debut against Mats Wilander in Paris, France.

“It felt really good. He’s beaten me so badly so many times that it’s nice to get some sort of revenge! It’s nice to see him suffer, to see him tire, but unfortunately he was smiling. I wanted to see him crying! But, no, seriously it’s great to have him back.” – Mats Wilander, after winning the ATP Champions Tour debut of Ivan Lendl.

Caroline Wozniacki wins the Pan Pacific Open

“It was so nerve wracking, especially in the super tie-break, but we tried to stay positive and not think negative. We made it somehow and are very glad about that!” – Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, who teamed with Iveta Benesova to win the Toray Pan Pacific Open doubles.

“I should have won the first set. When you lead 6-3 in the tie-break indoors, usually you should take the set. I came back well and I played a really good second set. In the final set it was really close. When you win 7-6 in the third set in the last match, you have to be aq little bit luckier than him.” – Mikhail Youzhny, after capturing the Thailand Open singles.

“Surgery was easy, but the radiation was trickier. It was six weeks of really low energy. Radiation just sucks your energy like a vampire, day by day.” – Martina Navratilova, saying she is now cancer free.

“It was a difficult match, especially at the end. I was choking a bit and luckily my partner helped us out. This is my first doubles title and it feels great.” – Viktor Troicki, who teamed with Christopher Kas to win the Malaysia Open doubles.

“It has been an unbelievable week for me, from the first round to the final. Every match is different. I think I played relaxed, enjoyed my game and everything was perfect.” – Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, after winning the Malaysia Open singles title.

“Now that I cannot play tennis, I really want to. I would rather be hitting crosscourt forehands than doing rehab five times a week.” – Robby Ginepri, who will miss the remainder of the year after breaking his elbow in a biking accident.

SPANISH SHOCKER

It was the biggest win of Guillermo Garcia-Lopez’s career. The Spaniard saved 24 of 26 break points to upset top-ranked Rafael Nadal in the semifinals of the PTT Thailand Open, snapping Nadal’s nine-match winning streak, which included capturing the US Open last month. It also boosted Garcia-Lopez to his second ATP World Tour final of the year, and he completed his best week by beating Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen 6-4 3-6 6-4 in the final, his second career ATP World Tour title. Garcia-Lopez was runner-up to Michael Llodra on the grass at Eastbourne, England, in June. The 27-year-old won his first ATP World Tour crown last year on clay in Kitzbuhel, Austria.

SET FOR DOHA

The two biggest names in women’s tennis, Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters, have qualified for the season-ending WTA Championships to be played October 26-31 in Doha, Qatar. Between them, Williams and Clijsters won three of the four Grand Slam tournaments this year, Williams triumphing at the Australian Open in January and Wimbledon in July, while Clijsters captured her second straight US Open in September. They join Caroline Wozniacki and Vera Zvonareva in the elite eight-player singles field. There also will be four doubles teams in the chase for the coveted WTA Championships title and a share of the USD $4.5 million prize money. Already securing a spot in the doubles field are the teams of Gisela Dulko and Flavai Pennetta, as well as Kveta Pschke and Katarina Srebotnik.

STOPPED BY INJURY

Kim Clijsters and Venus William pulled out of this week’s China Open because of injuries. Clijsters had an infection on her right foot, while Venus Williams is hobbled with a knee injury. Clijsters tweeted that she “had a mole removed under my right foot and the wound got infected.” She also posted on Twitter a link to a photo showing a red blotch on the bottom of her foot. The 30-year-old Venus Williams joined her sister Serena on the sideline. “Venus’ reason for withdrawal was a left knee injury,” WTA Tour spokeswoman Gina Clement reported.

SPECIAL CELEBRATION

Kimiko Date Krumm has an extra special celebration on her 40th birthday. The veteran celebrated her special day by defeating Daniela Hantuchova in the Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, Japan. “Maybe I was lucky because it was my birthday,” Date Krumm said a day after she knocked off defending champion Maria Sharapova. “Considering I had a tough match yesterday, I felt pretty good today.” Date Krumm was leading 2-6 6-0 4-0 when Hantuchova retired with a right shoulder injury. She had won the Tokyo tournament in 1995, then retired the next year. Date Krumm resumed her career nearly 12 years later and earlier this year became the oldest woman to beat a Top 10 player when she defeated Dinara Safina at the French Open. Date Krumm’s remarkable Tokyo run ended when she lost to French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 6-3 6-3. “I said to her at the end it was an honor to play her,” Schiavone said. “I’ve followed her career and she’s not just a great tennis player, she’s a great person.”

SEEING AN OLD FRIEND

Look who’s back in the ATP rankings for the first time in more than 10 years. Former French Open champion Thomas Muster, who was ranked number one in the world at one time, returned to professional tennis in June. In last week’s rankings, the 42-year-old Austrian had seven points, enough for him to be ranked 988th in the world. Muster has won just one match in five Challenger circuit events this season. He has been offered a wild card by organizers of the Bank Austria Tennis Trophy, which will be played in Vienna, Austria, on October 23-31. If he accepts the invitation, it would be his first ATP Tour match since June 1999.

SET FOR PERTH

Francesca Schiavone, the reigning French Open women’s champion, will join Potito Starace on Italy’s team at the Hopman Cup mixed tennis tournament in Perth, Australia, in January. The Australian team will be comprised of Alicia Molik and former number one-ranked Lleyton Hewitt. The Australians are trying to win the Hopman Cup for the first time since 1999. Other teams already announced for the tournament include the United States (Serena Williams and John Isner), Belgium (Justine Henin and Steve Darcis), Serbia (Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic), France (Kristina Mladenovic and Gael Monfils), and Kazakhstan (Yaroslava Shvedova and Andrey Golubev).

SWEEP

John McEnroe wound up winning the Jean Luc Lagardere Trophy, but he was far more thrilled by his win over longtime opponent Ivan Lendl. McEnroe led 6-4 3-2 when Lendl retired from their ATP Champions Tour match in Paris, France, because of a pulled calf muscle. Lendl hurt himself when stretching for a return in the second set. He tried to play on, but when McEnroe broke Lendl’s serve for 3-2 in the second set, Lendl called it a day. “I have no idea what happened to him,” McEnroe said. “It doesn’t get any easier and we’re all hurting, so either he’ll get used to that or it’ll be difficult for him.” McEnroe had lost the last six times he had played Lendl on the regular ATP Tour. “He surprised me and he was serving pretty big and hitting some big shots,” McEnroe said, “but I should’ve known. I’ve played him often enough to know to expect that, but when you haven’t played a guy in a long time you’re not sure what to expect. But once I got into it, it started to feel like old times.” In the final, McEnroe defeated Guy Forget in two tie-breaks, 7-5 7-4.

SUCCESSFUL YET AGAIN

Martina Navratilova has won yet another fight. This time the tennis legend says, “I am cancer free.” Talking to People magazine, Navratilova said she was “technically” cancer free after she underwent a lumpectomy for her breast cancer in March. “But then I had radiation to make sure that it killed any cancer cells that were still hovering about,” she said. She underwent six weeks of radiation.

SPECIAL COMPANY

So what if Tatiana Poutchek has never been ranked higher in doubles than 25th in the world. So what if she only has won seven doubles titles in her career. The Belarusian joined some pretty elite company when she teamed with Alexsandra Panova to capture the doubles title in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. It was Poutchek’s fifth title in Tashkent, all coming with different partners. All of the other players who have won as many or more than five doubles titles at one event – Lindsay Davenport, Lisa Raymond, Virginia Ruano Pascual and Rennae Stubbs – have all been ranked number one in the world in doubles at some time during their careers. Ruano Pascual has won six French Open doubles titles in the last decade.

SIDELINED

A freak mountain biking accident has sidelined Robby Ginepri for the rest of the year. The American was riding near his hometown in Kennesaw, Georgia, USA, when a squirrel ran into his path. Ginepri swerved to avoid hitting the squirrel, fell off his bike and broke his left elbow at the ulna bone. He underwent surgery in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, and will be in a cast for four to six weeks. He hopes to return in January at a warm-up event for the Australian Open,

SHE’S BACK

Everybody’s making a comeback these days. Or at least it seems that way. The latest to return to the sport is Magdalena Maleeva, who returned to competitive tennis after a five-year absence and won the Bulgarian championship. The youngest sister of the Maleeva dynasty beat Izabel Shinikova 6-4 6-4 in the final in the southern Bulgarian town of Plovdiv. “I had a great desire to compete once again and I’m happy with my participation here,” the 35-year-old told Bulgarian state television. “But I don’t think I achieved something special as some of the top names were missing.” Maleeva became the youngest champion when she won her first Bulgarian title at the age of 13 in 1988. She won 10 WTA Tour titles, reaching a career-high ranking of fourth in the world in 1996 before retiring in 2005. Her sisters Manuela and Katerina were ranked in the top six in the world in the 1980s and 1990s. One other thing the three had in common? They all have a career win over Martina Navratilova.

SAME VEIN

Anna Kournikova’s career was noted for her never winning a singles title. Now, the former top-tenner has appeared on “The Biggest Loser” reality TV show. According to TV Guide, the 29-year-old Russian led the show’s 15 remaining contestants in a tennis workout as they competed to win the cash prize for losing the most weight. Other professional athletes who have appeared on the NBC reality show included Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner and Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

SPANISH BLUSH

Women’s tennis will be the agenda when Spain’s tennis federation (RFET) holds its conference in Pamplona. “It must be noted that the National Tennis Congress is focusing exclusively on women’s tennis for the first time,” the RFET said in a statement. The federation has refuted accusations from Spain’s six highest-ranked women, including Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez and Carla Suarez Navarro, who have threatened to boycott next year’s Fed Cup because they are unhappy with what they see as neglect of the women’s game. At the conference, the RFET said it will address issues including training for the top players and bringing along younger talent. Former Grand Slam champions Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and Conchita Martinez have thrown their support behind the players and denounced “the general apathy shown by the federation toward women’s tennis in recent years.”

SURFACE

The Davis Cup final between France and Serbia will be played on a hard court. Serbia’s tennis association chose the surface for the December competition. Serbia is in its first final after beating the Czech Republic last month, and that was also played on a hard court. France advanced by crushing Argentina 5-0 in the other semifinal. The final will be held December 3-5 in the Belgrade Arena.

STOP THE PRESSES

Tennis Magazine has dropped four of its nine full-time editorial staffers and reportedly intends to outsource the design and photo work along with some editing. Those dropped from the staff of the American magazine included the online editor, a senior editor, the art director and the photo director. Bob Miller, co-owner, president and CEO of the magazine, said he will hire “three or four” more digitally-minded editors before the Australian Open. Until then, he said, www.Tennis.com will be manned “by committee.”

SHARED PERFORMANCES

Bangkok: Christopher Cas and Viktor Troicki beat Jonathan Erlich and Jurgen Melzer 6-4 6-4

Kuala Lumpur: Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak beat Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski 7-6 (3) 7-6 (5)

Ningho: Chan Chin-Wei and Chin Yi beat Jill Craybas and Olga Savchuk 6-3 3-6 10-8 (match tiebreak)

Tokyo: Iveta Benesova and Barbora Zahlavova Strycova beat Shahar Peer and Peng Shuai 6-4 4-6 10-8 (match tiebreak)

SITES TO SURF

Beijing: www.chinaopen.com.cn/

Tokyo: www.rakutenopen.rakuten.co.jp/

Mons: www.ethiastrophy.be

Jounieh: www.atcl.org

Paris: www.tropheejeanluclagardere.com

Shanghai: www.shanghairolexmasters.com

Linz: www.generali-ladies.at/

Osaka: www.hp-open.jp/

Torout: www.koddaertladiesopen.be/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

ATP

$2,100,000 China Open, Beijing, China, hard

$1,100,000 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, Tokyo, Japan, hard

$143,000 Ethias Trophy, Mons, Belgium, hard

WTA

$4,500,000 China Open, Beijing, China, hard

$100,000 Rakuten Japan Open Tennis Championships, Tokyo, Japan, hard

$100,000 Jounieh, Lebanon, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

ATP

$3,240,000 Shanghai Rolex Masters, Shanghai, China, hard

$125,000 Tashkent Challenge, Tashkent, Uzbekistan, hard

WTA

$220,000 Generali Ladies Linz, Linz, Austria, hard

$220,000 HP Open, Osaka, Japan, hard

$100,000 Koddaert Ladies Open, Torhout, Belgium, hard

MONDAYS WITH BOB GREENE: THE FIRST WEEK OF INDIAN WELLS

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STARS

Indian Wells (First Week)

Carla Suarez Navarro beat top-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4 4-6 6-1

Elena Baltacha beat seventh-seeded Li Na 7-6 (6) 2-6 7-6 (7)

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez beat ninth-seeded Marin Cilic 7-6 (1) 6-0

Zheng Jie beat 10th-seeded Maria Sharapova 6-3 2-6 6-3

Gisela Dulko beat Justine Henin 6-2 1-6 6-4

Marc Lopez and Rafael Nadal beat third-seeded Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes 6-4 3-6 10-6 (match tiebreak)

Maria Kirilenko and Agnieszka Radwanska beat fourth-seeded Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs 6-4 4-6 10-3 (match tiebreak)

Igor Andreev and Evgeny Korolev beat fourth-seeded Mahesh Bhupathi and Max Mirnyi 6-4 6-4

OTHERS

Fernando Meligeni beat Mark Philippoussis 6-2 4-6 10-8 (match tiebreak) to win the Rio Champions Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Stefan Edberg beat Goran Ivanisevic 3-6 6-3 12-10 (match tiebreak) to win the BNP Paribas Zurich Open in Zurich, Switzerland

SAYINGS

“The tennis ball is perfect. I am not perfect.” – Svetlana Kuznetsova, the top-seeded Russian after she lost to Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro at Indian Wells, California.

Caroline Wozniacki
Caroline Wozniacki at Indian Wells

“As the tiebreak started, she just came out with unbelievable stuff. I think she hit four backhand winners down the line. And I thought, ‘OK, yeah, that’s why you’re top 10. I understand.’ But then at 5-1 I went into the zone and I felt really strong and I just fought my heart out.” – Elena Baltacha, a qualifier from Great Britain who saved two match points en route to a 7-6 (6), 2-6 7-6 (7) upset win over China’s Li Na.

“This week is so special for me because last year this was the last match, and then I haven’t played for almost a year.” – Mario Ancic, winning his first ATP match in more than a year after recurrences of mononucleosis.

“I’m hitting the ball well and training well. But I can see I’m having trouble closing out matches. That’s not something you can practice for.” – Carlos Moya, after edging qualifier Tim Smyczek 7-6 (7) 7-6 (5) in the first round at Indian Wells California, USA

“To not defend my Wimbledon title last year was one of the toughest decisions in my career, but this is a new year and now I have the chance to go back to England and to compete on the grass again.” – Rafael Nadal, who won the last two grass-court tournaments he played, Queen’s Club and Wimbledon in 2008.

“Before the event started, I felt like a stranger among so many great champions. I was the only one that hadn’t reached the top 10, and here I am with this trophy.” – Fernando Meligeni, the surprise winner of the Rio Champions Cup, a senior event played in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“John is a great fighter and a fantastic tennis player. He’s still got the fire and wants it badly. There’s only one John McEnroe, and so long as he keeps playing it’s good for tennis.” – Stefan Edberg, after edging McEnroe in a seniors tournament in Zurich, Switzerland.

“It’s too bad I blew it. Any time you’re up 5-0 in a tiebreak you should certainly win it.” – John McEnroe, after losing to Stefan Edberg.

“After 20 minutes of play I was dead. I had pain in my elbow, in my knee. I had blisters. It is tough not to play for four months and then try to play. I have to get used again to play at least a couple of times a week. This is new for me.” – Marat Safin, after losing his first Champions Series match just 17 weeks after retiring from the ATP World Tour.

“Marat’s game is based on the physical power, and as he is not in a competitive shape, it gave me an edge.” – Wayne Ferreira of South Africa, who stunned Marat Safin in the Russian’s Champions Series debut in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“What we guaranteed was at least a million dollars, but people are continuing to make contributions. With a little bit of luck, we’ll tally everything up and we’ll go over the million dollar target.” – Larry Ellison, owner of Indian Wells Tennis Garden, when he presented a check for USD $1 million to the American Red Cross Haiti relief and development fund.

STRICKENED

A broken left wrist has caused fifth-seeded Nikolay Davydenko to withdraw from the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Davydenko first suffered the injury last month in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, but it was misdiagnosed. An MRI scan on Sunday showed the true injury. “He has a fracture in his left wrist and he will be in a split for the next four weeks,” an ATP Tour official said. The Russian hurt his wrist when he fell during a loss to Sweden’s Robin Soderling. In his next tournament, Davydenko retired with a wrist injury from a match with Michael Berrer.

SAYS BYE TO TIE

Following suicide bomb attacks in Lahore, Pakistan has given up hope of staging a Davis Cup tie against New Zealand in July. Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) president Dilawar Abbas said that while his country has asked the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to allow the tie to be played in Pakistan, “there is no doubt the situation has changed after the Lahore blasts.” Two suicide bombers targeting the Pakistani military killed at least 45 people in Lahore in the latest incidents. Several sporting events have been cancelled in the country since the Sri Lanka cricket team’s bus was ambushed last year. Since then the ITF has already moved Davis Cup ties against Oman and Hong Kong out of Pakistan when those nations refused to play in the country.

SPORTSWOMAN OF YEAR

Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters were among the winners of the Laureus World Sports Awards. Williams was named Sportswoman of the Year for the second time, while Clijsters earned Comeback of the Year honors. The 28-year-old Williams, who also won the award seven years ago, was crowned champion at the Australian Open and Wimbledon as well as the season-ending Tour Championships as she regained the number one ranking in 2009. Clijsters won the US Open last year after being absent from tennis for two years to get married and have a baby. Sprinter Usain Bolt won the Sportsman of the Year award for the second time. Former Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo was presented with the Sport for Good award, honored for his humanitarian work through the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation.

SHARING SKILLS

Goran Ivanisevic will continue to coach Marin Cilic on a part-time basis. Ivanisevic will travel with the Australian Open semifinalist to Key Biscayne, Florida, and Madrid, Spain, to continue the relationship the two began at the PBZ Zagreb Indoors tournament in February, an event Cilic won. The 21-year-old Cilic is coached on a full-time basis by Bob Brett, who also coached Ivanisevic. At Miami and Madrid, Brett will step back and let Ivanisevic take over. “I will be like a mentor to Marin,” Ivanisevic said. It was Ivanisevic who first brought Cilic, then 15 years old, to Brett’s attention. Cilic and Brett have worked together ever since at Brett’s academy in San Remo, Italy.

SPEED BUMP

Justine Henin ran into a speed bump on her comeback trail. Playing just her third tournament since ending a 19-month retirement, Henin lost to Gisela Dulko of Argentina 6-2 1-6 6-4 in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. The Belgian, who was ranked number one in the world when she retired in May 2008, had reached the finals at Brisbane, Australia, and the Australian Open in her previous two tournaments this year. Against Dulko, however, Henin struggled on serve, saving just two of eight break points, and never found consistency with her ground strokes. “It was a tough day today, I agree,” Henin said. “I wasn’t consistent enough. That’s very simple. It’s a bit of an off day and you have to deal with it.”

SUPER MATCH

When Stefan Edberg and John McEnroe clashed at the ATP Champions Tour event in Zurich, Switzerland, it was the fans that came away the winner. Edberg saved two match points and earned a standing ovation with his thrilling 6-4 4-6 13-11 (match tiebreak) victory. The 51-year-old McEnroe won the first five points of the tiebreak, only to see Edberg knot the score at 8-8. McEnroe surged again, setting up two match points, before Edberg rallied for the victory. “I was pretty lucky to come out of this one,” Edberg said. “I thought I had lost the match when I was 5-0 down in the tiebreak. John was serving well and you shouldn’t really win a match like that, but luckily I did.” The two players received a standing ovation from the crowd at the Saalsporthalle in Zurich.

Edberg rallied from two match points down again in the title match before defeating Goran Ivanisevic 3-6 6-3 12-10 (match tiebreak). This time, the match points came on Ivanisevic’s serve, one of the biggest in tennis.

SENIOR STUNNER

Being the youngest in the field and newly retired from the ATP Tour, Marat Safin probably thought it would be an easy run at the Banco Cruzeiro do Sul Rio Champions Cup, a senior event. He was so wrong. Safin was stunned by South African Wayne Ferreira 7-6 (4) 6-4 in the Russian’s Champions Series debut. The 30-year-old Safin played his last match on the ATP World Tour 17 weeks ago. The 38-year-old Ferreira last played a full season on the ATP Tour in 2004. It was his first win over Safin after losing all three previous meetings during their ATP careers.

SIGNED UP

Lleyton Hewitt is the latest star to enter the first Atlanta Tennis Championships, scheduled to be held July 19-25 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The hard-court tournament was moved to Atlanta from Indianapolis, Indiana, and serves as the kickoff to the 2010 Olympus US Open Series. Besides Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam tournament winner, others who have entered the Atlanta Tennis Championships include Americans John Isner, James Blake and Robby Ginepri.

STANDING TALL

As he promised, Fernando Gonzalez toured the area in Chile where a massive earthquake last month killed hundreds of people. During Chile’s first-round Davis Cup tie against Israel, Gonzalez promised the visit. “The people are very strong even though they’ve lost everything, and they are optimistic,” Gonzalez posted on Twitter during his visit. “I wish every one of us would have this fighting spirit to get through this moment and move forward.” Gonzalez visited a fishing village called El Morro, near Talcahuano, which was devastated by both the earthquake and a subsequent tsunami. The Olympic gold medalist played a tennis exhibition with children of the area. Talcahuano’s mayor, Gaston Saavedra, thanked Gonzalez for his visit, saying: “A national figure as Fernando Gonzalez helps people to clear their mind a little, especially the ones that have lost everything.”

STUMBLING

Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs won 32 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour doubles titles together before they went their separate ways. Now they’re back together again, but the victories have yet to follow. Seeded fourth at the PNB Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, USA, Raymond and Stubbs were upset by Maria Kirilenko and Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 4-6 10-3 (match tiebreak). Raymond had been seeking to become the first woman to win the doubles at Indian Wells seven times. Since reuniting at the start of this year, the team of Raymond and Stubbs has lost their opening match in three of their four Tour events.

STRAIGHT IN

The last time Rafael Nadal was at Queen’s Club, he came away with the grass-court tournament title. Now he’s returning, but not as the defending champion. Nadal missed the tournament last year because of a knee problem. In 2008, he became the first man to win the French Open, Queen’s Club and Wimbledon in the same year. “I always look forward to coming to England to play at The Queen’s Club and Wimbledon, but this year there is even more motivation because I could not defend my titles last year,” Nadal said. Also entered in this year’s Queen’s Club is US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro.

SEEKING ANSWERS

Talk about pressure. Now the House of Commons will take a look at the state of British tennis. The sports minister, Gerry Sutcliffe, has asked a group of MPs and peers to examine whether the Lawn Tennis Association is putting its public money to the best use. It is believe to be the first time the government has been asked to scrutinize the perceived flaws and failings of British tennis. In addition to the £ 25 million-plus the LTA receives each year from Wimbledon, the governing body of British tennis is receiving £ 26.8 million of public money from Sport England spread over a four-year period from 2009 to 2013. At least two hearings are planned, and a number of LTA’s critics are expected to testify about where they think the current tennis administration has gone wrong. Sutcliffe said there was a possibility of cutting future funding for British tennis.

SERVING ALL

The Bud Collins Tennis Courts have opened for play at the Prince Royal’s College in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The courts, named for the famed tennis writer, were the scene of a small tournament as part of the opening festivities. Players aged 8 to 18 participated, with Collins himself awarding the trophies. Collins’ missionary grandparents founded the Prince Royal’s College in 1887. The writer’s father was the third of seven children, all born in Siam, then the name of the country now known as Thailand. The opening of the Bud Collins Tennis Courts is a continuation of the Collins legacy at the school.

SWISS RECIPIENT

Heinz Grimm of Switzerland is the 2010 recipient of the prestigious Golden Achievement Award given by the International Tennis Hall of Fame and International Tennis Federation (ITF). The Golden Achievement Award is presented annually to individuals who have made important contributions internationally to tennis in the fields of administration, promotion or education, and have devoted long and outstanding service to the sport. Grimm has been active as an administrator in the sport for more than five decades. He received the award at the Swiss Tennis Gala Night in Zurich from Sir James Harvie-Watt, a member of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Among his many activities, Grimm has been chairman of the Fed Cup Committee and in 2001 was named an honorary life vice president of the ITF. Before he became an administrator, Grimm played on Switzerland’s Davis Cup team in 1960 and served as a playing captain in 1961 and a non-playing captain from 1962 to 1974. Nominations for the Golden Achievement Award are submitted by tennis federations and individuals from the around the world, and then voted on by the Golden Achievement Award Selection Committee.

SOME HOME COOKING

Nothing like playing at home for Fernando Meligeni. Spurred on by a boisterous and supportive home crowd, the Brazilian was a surprise winner of the Banco Cruzerio do Sul Rio Champions Cup in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Meligeni downed Australian Mark Philippoussis 6-2 4-6 10-8 (match tiebreak) in the final. His first title in the Champions Series for players 30 and over earned Meligeni USD $60,000. Before now, Meligeni’s best career performances were a semifinal appearance at the 1999 French Open and a fourth-place finish at the 1996 Olympic Games.

SLOANE SPECIAL

A 16-year-old native of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA, Sloan Stephens won her first WTA Tour match, defeating Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 7-6 (5) 7-6 (7). It wasn’t easy, however. Stephens led 5-2 in the second set and had match point on her serve in the ninth game. Then she had to rally from 3-6 down in the second-set tiebreaker. “I wasn’t getting nervous,” the young American admitted. “She started playing a lot more. Before, she was hitting a lot of balls off the court and I was waiting for the error. She made me play at the end.”

SIGNED UP 2

US Open finalists Kim Clijsters and Caroline Wozniacki have entered the grass-court tournament at Eastbourne, England. Clijsters celebrated her return to professional tennis following a two-year retirement by winning America’s premier tennis event by beating Wozniacki, who is the defending champion at Eastbourne. “I won it in 2005 and can’t wait to play there to come back to challenge for the title again,” Clijsters said. “It’s a really well-run tournament in a laid-back atmosphere providing the perfect preparation ahead of Wimbledon.”

SERENA VS. MARTINA

When World Team Tennis begins play in July, Martina Hingis will take on Serena Williams in a battle between two players who have been ran ked number one in the world. A five-time Grand Slam tournament singles champion and the youngest woman to be ranked number one, Hingis will play for the New York Buzz and face Serena on July 9. Hingis also will play Venus Williams of the Washington Kastles on July 7 and Kim Clijsters of the New York Sportimes on July 19.

STEALING THE LIMELIGHT

Martina Navratilova and Andre Agassi stole the limelight with their wit as well as their racquets while playing exhibition matches to raise money for victims of the Haiti earthquake. Navratilova and Justine Henin beat Steffi Graf and Lindsay Davenport 8-6 before Pete Sampras and Roger Federer stopped Agassi and Rafael Nadal by the same score. The men’s doubles match also added some controversy to the night. After Sampras did an impersonation of Agassi by walking pigeon-toed on the baseline, Agassi responded by pulling out both the pockets of his tennis shorts and saying he didn’t have any money. In his book “Open,” Agassi wrote that Sampras had a reputation for being a very bad tipper.

SERVING TENNIS CANADA

Marc Bibeau is the newest member of Tennis Canada’s board of directors. President of Beauward Shopping Centres Ltd., Bibeau has played tennis his entire life and is a volunteer director of Tennis Canada. “Tennis has always been my passion,” Bibeau said. He replaces Senator Francis Fox, who decided not to stand for re-election after four years on the board.

SITES TO SURF

Indian Wells: www.bnpparibasopen.org/

Marrakech: www.arryadia.com/mtt

Sunrise: www.sunrisetennis.com

Bogota: www.tennissegurosbolivar.com

Miami: www.sonyericssonopen.com/

TOURNAMENTS THIS WEEK

(All money in USD)

ATP

$4,000,000 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (second week)

$145,000 Morocco Tennis Tour, Marrakech, Morocco, clay

$125,000 BMW Tennis Championships, Sunrise, Florida, USA, hard

WTA

$4,000,000 BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California, USA, hard (second week)

SENIORS

Seguros Bolivar Tennis Champions, Bogota, Colombia, clay

TOURNAMENTS NEXT WEEK

ATP

$4,000,000 Sony Ericsson Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (first week)

WTA

$4,000,000 Sony Ericsson Open, Miami, Florida, USA, hard (first week)

DJOKOVIC AND MURRAY WIN OPENERS IN DUBAI

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DUBAI, UAE – Defending champion Novak Djokovic defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-4 6-4 and Australian Open finalist Andy Murray overcame a spirited challenge from Russian qualifier Igor Kunitsyn to win 6-2 6-3 to progress to the second round of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships on Monday. But there was drama in both of their straight-set victories.

Novak Djokovic
Novak Djokovic

Djokovic lost an early break against Garcia-Lopez but then induced a backhand error on break point at 5-4 to take the opening set. The Serb then worked his way to a 5-0 lead in the second set, but struggled to finish. He won the next four games as Djokovic twice failed to serve out the match, but the number two seed finally ended the contest with a winning forehand.

“It was not pleasant coming from 5-Love to 5-4 and him serving to get back into the match,” said Djokovic. “But it was all my fault, you know. I think I lost the focus. I was playing well all the way up to 5-Love and then just lost it. But, you know, it’s the first match outdoors since Australia, so still getting used to the conditions. And I’m sure next match is going to be better.”

Murray and Kunitsyn were involved in an extraordinary game early in the first set, as the second game stretched to 34 points, eight deuces and 24 minutes before Murray eventually broke to lead 2-0 on his ninth break point.

The Scot went on to break again for the set when Kunitsyn made a backhand error, but then he hit his first double-fault of the match to drop his serve at the beginning of the second.

A forehand winner allowed him to break back immediately for 1-1, and with his serve working well and eventually producing 13 aces Murray was able to edge ahead against an opponent who rallied with accuracy and persistence. After holding off a break point to hold for 3-2 Murray broke again to lead 4-2 when his opponent hit a backhand wide, but he still needed to work hard to finish off the match.

Murray faced a break point as he served at 5-3, but he saved that with a service winner, hit an ace to set up match point and a forehand error from Kunitsyn gave him the match.

“The second game was incredibly long,” said Murray. “That was actually probably a perfect match for me because it was quite a lot of long rallies and long points and long games. That helped probably physically, but just a bit sore. I wasn’t expecting to play my best tennis and expect to hit the ball unbelievably clean. But, you know, I served well when I needed to.”

In other matches, Austrians Jurgen Melzer and Stefan Koubek both claimed straight-set victories. Melzer defeated Italian Simone Bolelli 6-1 7-5, and qualifier Koubek upset former two-time finalist Feliciano Lopez of Spain 7-6 6-4. Viktor Troicki beat Germany’s Rainer Schuettler to set up a second round clash with fellow Serb Djokovic, and Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic struggled but overcame Czech qualifier Jan Hernych 6-2 6-7 6-4.

The only seed to fall was number eight Gilles Simon of France, but he was playing just his second match of the year because of a knee injury. The Frenchman was beaten 7-6 6-4 by charismatic Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis, who had his own problems with a stomach upset which led to him leaving the court at 5-4 in the opening set.

There was regional interest in the doubles as Mahmoud-Nader Al Baloushi of the UAE partnered Kuwait’s Abdullah Magdas against Mahesh Bhupathi of India and Max Mirnyi of Belarus, who won 7-5 6-0