Men and Women Tennis News Update (04/10/13)

Written by: Staff on 10th April 2013

Men and Women Tennis News Update (04/10/13)

epa03564055 Henri Laaksonen of Switzerland returns to Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic, during the first single of the Davis Cup World Group First Round match between Switzerland and Czech Republic, in Geneva, Switzerland, 01 February 2013. EPA/MARTIAL TREZZINI |

MEN’S NEWS

Casablanca

Swiss Henri Laaksonen set the pace for top-seeded compatriot Stan Wawrinka as the Finnish-born import won his first ATP-level match with a defeat of Morocco’s Younes Rachidi 6-3, 6-7(8), 6-1. The No. 294 had to qualify into the clay field with three weekend wins. The Swiss was joined by another unlikely winner when fellow qualifier Pablo Carreno-Busta of Spain beat senior compatriot Pablo Andujar 6-4, 2-6, 6-3.

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez scored a face-saving Iberian win with his upset of countryman and sixth seed Daniel Gimeno-Traver 7-6(5), 3-6, 6-3. But Frenchman Eduardo Roger-Vasselin made it a relatively bleak day for Spain as he defeated Albert Montanes in a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 comeback.

Slovenian eighth seed Grega Zemlja followed the formbook with his success over German Matthias Bachinger 6-7(3), 7-5, 7-6(2) while Italy’s Filippo Volandri left unfortunate Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu without a match win this season as he struggles with a family health crisis. Volandri produced a 6-3, 7-5 result on the North African clay.

Tobias Kamke of Germany stopped the recent run of Austrian fifth seed Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-3 while Slovenian Aljaz Bedene beat France’s Marc Gicquel 6-1, 6-4.

Houston

In early play at the only US event on the ATP calendar to be held on traditional red clay, Italian seventh seed Paolo Lorenzi put an end to the dream run of Jurgen Melzer’s younger brother with his defeat qualifier of Gerald 6-2, 6-2.

Longtime pro Robby Ginepri, who is making a comeback after a freak mountain biking accident involving the sudden appearance of a small animal which caused a serious crash to the off-court rider, scored a small victory with his defeat of journeyman eighth seed Michael Russell of the US 6-2, 6-2. Italy’s Flavio Cipolla reached the second round over Argentine qualifier Facundo Arguello in three sets, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.

Leading seeds go into action at midweek after byes, with top seed Nicolas Almagro of Spain leading the way ahead of No. 2 Tommy Haas, 35-year-old the surprise Miami semi-finalist just over a week ago.

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WOMEN’S NEWS

Katowice

Kaia Kanepi made her first appearance on a WTA court since last September in Tokyo as the injury-hit player scored a win into the second round over Poland’s Sandra Zaniewska. Kanepi still enjoys a protected ranking of 37th as she begins her comeback with the start of the clay season

Israeli Shahar Peer was the only non-European winner of day 2 of the new event as she beat Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulguria 5-7, 7-6(4), 7-6(4). Mandy Minella of Luxembourg defeated Serbian Vesna Dolonc 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.

Slovak Anna Schmiedlova put out French fifth seed Alize Cornet in a decisive 6-3, 6-0 while up-and-coming Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands defeated Spanish clay-courter Lara Arruabarrena 6-1, 6-1. There was another French loss as Romanian Irina-Camelia Begu defeated Mathilde Johansson 5-7, 7-6(5), 6-1.

Katowice, missing top Pole Agnieszka Radwanska due to harsh interpretation of WTA eligibility rules for top 10 player and smaller events, is the lone WTA stop of the week after both Copenhagen and Barcelona went under due to lack of sponsors and financial pressure.

Topics: Casablanca tennis news, Guillermo Garcia Lopez, Henri Laaksonen, Jurgen Melzer, Kaia Kanepi, Katowice tennis news, Pablo Anduja, Pablo Carreno-Busta, Paolo Lorenzi, Robby Ginepri, Stan Wawrinka