Ginepri upsets Davydenko

Madrid, October 15:

American qualifier Robby Ginepri upset fifth-ranked Nikolay Davydenko 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 toda6 to reach the third round at the Madrid Masters.

Australian Open finalist Jo-Wilfried Tsonga advanced after rallying to beat Spanish qualifier Marcel Granollers 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5). Tsonga will next face either second-ranked Roger Federer or Radek Stepanek.

On Tuesday, Rafael Nadal won his 78th match of the season as he began the chase for a second title at the Madrid Masters. The top-seeded world No 1 who claimed his only trophy in the capital in 2005, rallied past Latvian Ernests Gulbis 7-5, 3-6, 6-3.

Nadal will play on Thursday against French 15th seed Richard Gasquet, a winner over Mardy Fish 6-7 (3/7), 6-4, 6-3. Scot Andy Murray stormed to the third round as good fortune ran out for Italian lucky loser Simone Bolelli 6-0, 2-1, retired. Murray next faces Croatian Marin Cilic, who put out 13th-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 6-3.

American James Blake crashed out to Frenchman Gilles Simon 3-6, 6-1, 6-4. In first-round matches, Germany’s Philip Kohlschreiber beat Spain’s Carlos Moya 6-2, 6-2 while Marcel Granollers of Spain defeated Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-4, 6-4. Gael Monfils beat Italian Fabio Fognini 6-2, 6-4 and Jarkko Nieminen ousted Russian Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 3-6, 6-2. Robby Ginepri of the US beat Frenchman Michael Llodra 6-4, 6-4.

Zurich Open

ZURICH: Patty Schnyder and Anna Chakvetadze both slumped out of the Zurich Open on Tuesday, losing to qualifiers in their first round matches. Swiss sixth seed and former champion Schnyder surrendered 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 to Czech Petra Kvitova, and seventh-seeded Russian Chakvetadze was beaten 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 by Romanian Monica Niculescu.

Schnyder has enjoyed a successful year, which included quarter-finals at Roland Garros and the US Open, a title in Bali and final at Bangalore. But she struggled to find a rhythm against an erratic opponent, and her game collapsed in the final set after she had dropped just one point in taking a 3-0 lead.

In contrast to Schnyder, Chakvetadze has endured a season of fluctuating fortunes. Although she won the Paris Indoor event in February and reached the final in New Haven in August, she has now lost nine opening round matches this year. With just one win in her five tournaments since New Haven, her latest setback came against a modest opponent who won simply by keeping the ball in play, often with heavy slice, something Chakvetadze struggled to do.

Fifth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland avoided the upsets, beating Russian qualifier Vera Dushevina 6-4, 6-1, and there were also wins for Marion Bartoli of France, Italy’s Francesca Schiavone and Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain.