Rome
Roger Federer learned the name of his second-round opponent when Italy’s Potito Starace stepped into the role as the result of a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 comeback win over Czech Radek Stepanek. Starace, ranked 293 after reaching 27th on the ATP computer in 2007, needed nearly two-and-a-quarter hours to get past Stepanek, whom Federer beat last week in the second round in Madrid.
Starace had lost both of his previous matches with the 34-year-old Czech, who underwent surgery in January to relieve pressure on a nerve in his neck. Federer holds a 6-0 record over Starace, beating the home player at the Foro Italico in 2006 and earning a straight-sets victory in their last meeting indoors in Basel in 2011.
While leading seeds waited to get started in the second round after byes, the big names at the joint event filled up the practice courts at the last-chance tune-up week prior to the start of the French Open on May 26. France’s Benoit Paire earned a second-round spot at the expense of Argentine Juan Monaco 7-6 (7/4), 1-6, 6-4 while Spaniard Albert Ramos defeated Czech Jan Hajaek 7-5, 6-0.
Russian Alex Kuznetsov advanced as Belgian veteran Xavier Malisse quit their match trailing 6-2, 3-1. Tenth seed Janko Tipsarevic withdrew with bronchitis and was replaced in the draw by Czech Lukas Rosol.
RANKINGS
Estimated ATP World Tour Rankings
As of May 13, 2013
Rank &
Prior…Player………..Points
1..(1) Djokovic……….12140
2..(2) Murray………….8670
3..(3) Federer…………7410
4..(4) Ferrer………….6570
5..(5) Nadal…………..5905
6..(6) Berdych…………4350
7..(7) Del Potro……….4240
8..(8) Tsonga………….3795
9..(9) Gasquet…………3045
10.(11) Tipsarevic………2650
11.(10) Wawrinka………..2595
12.(13) Cilic…………..2570
13.(12) Almagro…………2490
14.(14) Haas……………2340
15.(15) Nishikori……….2315
16.(16) Raonic………….2225
17.(17) Simon…………..1860
18.(18) Monaco………….1750
19.(19) Querrey…………1730
20.(22) Kohlschreiber……1705
21.(20) Isner…………..1690
22.(21) Seppi…………..1530
23.(23) Dolgopolov………1455
24.(24) Janowicz………..1383
25.(27) Anderson………..1375
26.(26) Dimitrov………..1355
27.(25) Fognini…………1345
28.(28) Mayer…………..1295
29.(29) Chardy………….1291
30.(30) Youzhny…………1230
DRAWS
Rome — Week of May 13
1 Djokovic
–bye
Montanes (Q)
Klizan
Viola (WC)
Dolgopolov
Berlocq (Q)
15 Wawrinka
11 Cilic
Golubev (Q)
Anderson
Melzer
Istomin
Isner
–bye
6 Berdych
4 Ferrer
–bye
Zeballos
Verdasco
Ramos
Hajek (Q)
Kohlschreiber
14 Raonic
10 Tipsarevic
Troicki
Nieminen
Gulbis (Q)
Fognini
Seppi
–bye
5 Nadal
7 del Potro
–bye
Kuznetsov (Q)
Malisse
Monaco
Paire
Benneteau
12 Almagro
16 Nishikori
Lorenzi (WC)
Chardy
F Lopez
Granollers
Davydenko
–bye
3 Murray
8 Tsonga
–bye
Giraldo (Q)
Janowicz
Baghdatis
Dimitrov
Querrey
9 Gasquet
13 Haas
Youzhny
Volandri
Simon
Stepanek
Starace (WC)
–bye
2 Federer
SCORES
MONDAY
Rome
Singles – First Round
[11] M Cilic (CRO) d [Q] A Golubev (KAZ) 64 62
P Kohlschreiber (GER) d [14] M Raonic (CAN) 76(2) 64
[16] K Nishikori (JPN) d [WC] P Lorenzi (ITA) 62 64
[Q] A Montanes (ESP) d M Klizan (SVK) 36 75 63
A Ramos (ESP) d [Q] J Hajek (CZE) 75 60
[Q] E Gulbis (LAT) d J Nieminen (FIN) 62 76(6)
F Fognini (ITA) d A Seppi (ITA) 64 61
[Q] A Kuznetsov (RUS) d X Malisse (BEL) 62 31 ret. (right wrist)
B Paire (FRA) d J Monaco (ARG) 76(4) 16 64
J Janowicz (POL) d [Q] S Giraldo (COL) 75 62
[WC] P Starace (ITA) d R Stepanek (CZE) 46 64 63
Doubles – First Round
D Inglot (GBR) / J Marray (GBR) d J Isner (USA) / S Querrey (USA) 75 67(8) 12-10
S Gonzalez (MEX) / S Lipsky (USA) d G Dimitrov (BUL) / F Nielsen (DEN) 64 63
J Benneteau (FRA) / N Zimonjic (SRB) d M Fyrstenberg (POL) / M Matkowski (POL) 67(3) 75 10-4