tool name

Wednesday, Jul. 23, 2008

Malisse rediscovers his game at Fifth Third

BELGIAN BEAT NADAL AND BLAKE IN 2007

Three of the four men's seeds to see action Tuesday in the Fifth Third Bank Tennis Championships made first-round exits. But, more significantly, unseeded Xavier Malisse — who's been ranked as high as No. 19 in the world — seems to be coming back from two wrist injuries and plans to stay awhile.

“This is good for me to have to fight back to the top,” said the Belgian, who was out for most of 2007 but still managed victories over Rafael Nadal and James Blake.

Currently No. 162, Malisse exploited Scoville Jenkins' forehand with hard-to-handle slices and won the evening feature 7-5, 6-1. “Fortunately, I don't have to play my best at this level… I just need to be consistent and (use) my experience.”

Keeping up his energy level also is key, said Malisse, who is coming directly off a win in last week's Challenger in Moncton, Canada.

Malisse might have caught a break as sixth-seeded Harel Levy, the Israeli who triumphed at the Boone Tennis Complex in '99, retired with an injured shoulder down 5-2. Rhyne Williams, a high school junior from Knoxville, will play against veteran Malisse on Thursday.

Third-seeded Robert Kendrick, the lone favored survivor, had an agonizingly slow start against Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico, dropping the first set 6-1. “Everything was flying on me… I couldn't control anything,” said the Californian, who's seen his highest ranking of 77 a year ago drop in part to tendinitis in his knee. An injury before Indianapolis a week ago prompted him to get an MRI.

Ryler DeHeart had one of his best wins with an upset of seventh-seeded Kevin Kim.

“I played really well, and Kim is just coming off the (title) win at Aptos (Calif.)… so that's a factor,” said the former Illinois star who is shooting to make it past his first Challenger quarterfinal.

Fourth-seeded Kristian Pless of Denmark was the other seed to fall — to Victor Estrella of Dominican Republic 6-3, 6-4.

All four seeded women in action were victorious: Varvara Lepchenko (2), Junri Namigata (3), Chin-Wei Chan (7) and Melanie Oudin (8) of Marietta, Ga.

Results

At Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex

Purse: $100,000

($50,000 men, $50,000 women)

Surface: Hard-outdoor

TUESDAY'S RESULTS

Men

Singles

First round

Santiago Gonzalez, Mexico, d. Robert Kendrick, (3) 6-1, 4-6, 4-3; Michael Yani d. Chase Buchanan, 7-6 (3), 6-0; Ryler de Heart d. Kevin Kim (8), 7-5, 6-4; Noam Okun, Israel, d. Nick Lindahl, Australia, 7-5, 6-3.

Xavier Malisse, Belgium, d. Scoville Jenkins 7-5, 6-1; Rhyne Williams d. Harel Levy (6), Israel, 5-2, ret; Justin O'Neal d. Erik Chvojka 0-6, 6-3, 6-3; Victor Estrella, Dominican Republic, d. Kristian Pless, Denmark, 6-3, 6-4.

Doubles

First round

Stephen Bass and Todd Paul d. Brad Pomeroy and Jose Statham, New Zealand, 2-6, 6-4, 10-7; Francis-Kim d. Baker-Evans, 3-3, ret; Olivier Charroin, France, and Erik Chvojka, Canada, d. Noam Okun, Israel, and Amir Weitraub, Israel, 7-5, 6-4.

Women

Singles qualifying

Final round

Christina McHale d. Jennifer Elie, 6-3, 6-2; Neha Uberoi, India, d. Tiya Rolle 5-7, 6-2, 7-5; Lindsay Lee-Waters d. Kristy Frilling, 6-2, 6-4; Maureen Diaz d. Kristi Miller, 6-2, 6-2.

Alexandra Mueller d. Mary Gamble, 6-0, 6-1.

Singles

First round

Chin-Wei Chan (7), Taipei, d. Sharon Fichman, Canada, 6-4, 6-4; Junri Namigata (3), Japan, d. Petra Rampre, Slovakia, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1; Vavara Lepchenko (2) d. Julia Cohen, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5); Melanie Oudin (8) d. Maria Alves, Brazil, 6-1, 6-4.

I-Husuan Hwang, Taipei, d. Kelly Liggan, Ireland, 6-4, 6-1; Kimberly Couts d. Kai-Chen Chang, Taipei, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4; Alexis Prousis d. Kumiko Iijima, Japan, 6-1, ret.; Andrea Stoppini, Italy, d. Colin Eberthite, Australia, 7-5, 6-4.

Doubles

First round

Neha Uberoi, India, and Shikha Uberoi, India, d. Meritt Emery and Tiffany Welcher, 6-1, 6-2; Carly Gullickson and Nicole Kriz, Australia, d. Hilary Barte and Jennifer Elie, 6-2, 6-4; Alessandro Da Col, Italy, and Andrea Stoppini, Italy, d. Battistone-Ludlow, 6-4, 4-6, 13-11.

WEDNESDAY'S SCHEDULE

Stadium Court 1, starting at 11 a.m.

Lindsay Lee Waters vs Lauren Albanese; Izak Van Der Merwe, Russia, vs Alex Kuznetsov; Dudi Sela (1), Israel, vs. Noam Okun Israel; Ryler de Heart and Rajeev Ram vs. Colt Gaston and Scoville Jenkins.

Not before 7 p.m.

Somdev Devvarman, India, vs. Bobby Reynolds (2); Sanchai Ratiwatana, Thailand, Sonchat Ratiwatana, Thailand (1), vs. Olivier Charroin, France, Erik Chvojka, Canada, or Noam Okun, Israel, Amir Weintraub, Israel.

Stadium Court 2, starting at 11 a.m.

Georgie Stoop, Great Britain, vs. Hilary Barte; Victor Estrella, Dominican Republic, and Santiago Gonzales, Mexico, vs. Harel Levy, Israel, and Jim Thomas; Bryan Koniecko vs. Andrea Stoppini, Italy; Justin O'Neal vs. Amer Delic (5).

Not before 7 p.m.

Elena Baltacha (1), Great Britain, vs. Carly Gullickson; Lindsay Lee-Waters and Melanie Oudin vs. Liga Dekmeijere, Latvia, and Nikola Frankova, Czechloslovakia (2).

Court 3, starting at 11 a.m.

Kim Gradjdek, Germany, vs. Nicole Kriz, Australia; Maureen Diaz, U.S., vs. Gabriela Paz Franco, Venezuela; Maria Fernanada Alves, Brazil, and Robin Stephenson vs. Kai-Chen Chang and I-Hsuan Hwang, Taipei.

Court 6, starting at 11 a.m.

Nikola Frankova, Czechloslovakia, vs. Story Tweedie-Yates; Neha Uberoi, vs. Christina McHale; Sharon Fichman, Canada, and Story Tweedie-Yates vs. Kelly Anderson, Russia, and Georgie Stoop, Great Britain; Lauren Albanese and Allie Will, U.S., vs. Kumiko Iijima and Junri Namigata, Japan; Jamie Baker, Greak Britain, and Brendan Evans vs. Brian Battistone and James Ludlow or Alessandro Da Col and Andrea Stoppini, Italy.

Court 7, starting at 11 a.m.

Ye-Ra Lee, Korea, vs. Tiya Rolle, ; Chin-Wei Chan, Taipei, and Kimberly Couts vs. Amanda McDowell and Alexis Prousis; Kirsty Frilling and Alexandra Mueller vs. Whitney Jones and Tiya Rolle.