Aussie Tennis Open

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Aussie Open loses injured champions](http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/040113/323/ej98l.html)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) - Two-time winner Jennifer Capriati joined a growing list of former women’s champions who have pulled out of next week’s Australian Open.

Tennis Australia said Capriati, who won here in 2001 and 2002, withdrew from the year’s first grand slam tournament with a back injury she sustained late last year.

Capriati joins last year’s champion Serena Williams, 1995 winner Mary Pierce and four-time winner Monica Seles as no-shows for this year’s event.

And the high-profile pull-outs might not end there with world No.2 Kim Clijsters withdrawing from the lead-up Sydney International on Tuesday with continuing ankle problems picked up at last week’s Hopman Cup in Perth.

“I’m definitely in doubt for the Australian Open, but I just don’t know how long it’s going to take,” she told reporters.

"I am not going to put a number on it, but I have to start hitting soon and I will have a few days off to get further treatment.

“I have to her think about my future.”

Capriati, the American world No.6, was battling to be fit for the Australian Open after an injury-blighted 2003 season.

The French Tennis Federation said in a statement on Monday that Pierce, 29 later this week, did not believe she was fit enough to take on the physical demands of an Australian Open.

Last week Serena Williams announced she would not be defending her Australian title, saying she needed more time to rehabilitate from knee surgery five months ago.

Williams has not competed since winning the Wimbledon crown last July. She had surgery to repair a partial tear in her left quadriceps tendon on August 1.

“My knee feels great, but my rehabilitation took a little longer than I expected. I’m on the courts daily, and look forward to coming back to championship form,” Serena said.

Seles, who won four Australian Opens last decade, is another high-profile women’s player absent from Melbourne because of injury.

The way is now open for world No.1 Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium to bid for her third major title after winning last year’s French and US Opens.

Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui is in doubt for the men’s Open after pulling out of the lead-up Kooyong Classic tournament here on Tuesday.

El Aynaoui is troubled by a foot injury which sends shooting pain through his leg when he gets out of bed in the morning.

“I am in good hands, I am having intensive treatment here every day,” he said. “I am still thinking positive about the tournament… that next week I’ll be ready to go,” El Aynaoui said.

“The doctors are pretty confident that the inflammation will go away, it’s just going to be a matter of how many matches I’ll be able to play.”

The Australian Open begins on Monday.

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They should consider renaming it "Australian Quite Open"

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Serena :(

i was looking forward for some good tennis but... :( there are really no challengers for Justine - and she will be undoubtly walk away with another title

with Younes out - Roddick will be a winner - and Aggasi will be eliminated in the semi stage.

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Will Agassi win his fifth Australian open title? So far he looks on course.

Agassi, Roddick through as three Australian Open finalists crash out](Yahoo is part of the Yahoo family of brands.)

MELBOURNE, Australia (AFP) - World number one Andy Roddick and four-time winner Andre Agassi successfully launched their Australian Open challenges as a clutch of former finalists came to grief.

Roddick, the exciting 21-year-old American, who achieved his tennis dream of landing the US Open in New York last September, manoeuvred past dangerous ‘floater’ Fernando Gonzalez, 6-2, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) in just over two hours on Monday.

In the late night match, Agassi, at 33 the oldest campaigner in the tournament, took almost 100 minutes to wear down 168th-ranked Australian Todd Larkham to win in straight sets.

The fourth seeded American had few problems with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 win over Larkham, who was granted a wild card into the event.

Agassi has now won his last 22 matches in the tournament and is shooting for five Australian titles in his eighth appearance in Melbourne, second only to Roy Emerson’s six. He has won eight Grand Slam titles.

But while Roddick and Agassi were looking ahead for future conquests in the tournament, Spanish seventh seed Carlos Moya, a runner-up in 1997, and last year’s beaten finalist Rainer Schuettler both had their hopes of a charge into the later rounds go up in smoke along with Frenchman Arnaud Clement.

Roddick, aiming to become the first man in 15 majors to win consecutive Grand Slam titles, will now play Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic in Wednesday’s second round.

Agassi said he was looking forward to playing in the day-time heat to crank up his preparation. He takes on Czech Tomas Berdych in his next match.

"I always hope for it to get better with each match, it’s nice to get out in the heat and hit the ball even cleaner and go to work.

“I don’t particularly like playing in the heat, but I try to like the heat more than my opponent. It’s about preparation and pushing yourself mentally.”

Much had been made of Roddick’s potentially difficult opening match against big-hitting Gonzalez, ranked just outside the seedings at 35.

“I could have easily been taken into four sets and then it’s anybody’s game again, so I was going for a win and I got through in straight sets with the feeling that I could still improve a lot on my form,” Roddick said.

Moya failed to recover from an ankle injury suffered at the Sydney International last weekend and reluctantly withdrew from his scheduled game against James Blake of the United States.

Sixth seed Schuettler got no respite from his miserable start to 2004 – where he has yet to win a match in three tournaments — and was beaten 4-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-4 by Robin Soderling of Sweden.

Clement, who lost in the 2001 Open final to Andre Agassi, was dejected after bowing out in five sets to Nikolay Davydenko of Russia 6-7 (6/8), 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2.

The Frenchman’s game disintegrated after he called the trainer onto the court to treat stomach pains in the fourth set. “I just let it go,” said Clement, seeded 30 for the tournament.

“It’s more than a disappointment – it’s a humiliation that bothers me deeply,” he added.

Moya meanwhile said he had simply run out of time in his race to regain fitness, his sprained ankle still causing him discomfort during training despite showing signs of improvement.

“Yesterday I couldn’t even walk, and today I was running,” the Spaniard said. "They said maybe if I could have one more day, I could have a chance to play, but I’ve been unlucky because they didn’t give me one more day.

Paradorn Srichaphan looks like being the sole standard-bearer once again as Asian players struggled to make a mark at the Open.

Thailand’s 13th seeded men’s singles star advanced to the second round with a straight sets defeat of Argentinian Jose Acasuso but it was a different story for South Korea’s Lee Hyung-Taik.

Lee was outclassed by Frenchman Nicolas Escude, 6-3, 7-6 (7/5) 6-2.

Elsewhere, Gustavo Kuerten moved into the second round but not after an awkward five-setter against the hobbling Ducthman John Van Lottum.

The former Brazilian world number one set up a tough second round match with Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic by downing Van Lottum 5-7, 6-0, 6-1, 2-6, 8-6.

Blake took adantage of Moya’s withdrawal to hammer Peruvian lucky loser Ivan Miranda 6-1, 6-4, 6-4

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[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ehsan: *
Will Agassi win his fifth Australian open title? So far he looks on course.
[/quote]

On course? nah - look how long did Agassi take to beat a low ranking guy.

[quote]
In the late night match, Agassi, at 33 the oldest campaigner in the tournament, took almost 100 minutes to wear down 168th-ranked Australian Todd Larkham to win in straight sets.
[/quote]

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hopefully tim henman will win but i think david nalbandion and Lieyton hewitt r strong favourites, agassi will make the semis maybe final but won't win!!!

come on tim

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I am supporting Tim Henman.

Tim Henman plays Radek Stepanek tomorrow in the second round.

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I think it will be betwen Roddick and Aggassi.

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tim henman just beat r. stepanek in his 2cond round clash

6-2 4-6 6-3 6-0

shabash henmania :dhimpak:

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Agassi and Roddick breeze into the fourth round.

Will Federer, Henman and Hewitt join them?

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*Women's Singles - Fourth Round *

Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL (1)

vs.

Mara Santangelo ITA

Vera Zvonareva RUS (11)

vs.

Lindsay Davenport USA (5)

Amelie Mauresmo FRA (4)

vs.

Alicia Molik AUS

Aniko Kapros HUN

vs.

Fabiola Zuluaga COL (32)

Nathalie Dechy FRA (29)

vs.

Patty Schnyder SUI (22)

Tatiana Golovin FRA

vs.

Lisa Raymond USA (25)

Anastasia Myskina RUS (6)

vs.

Chanda Rubin USA (9)

Silvia Farina Elia ITA (20)

vs.

Kim Clijsters BEL (2)

Venus Williams was beaten by Lisa Raymond. Now that is an upset.

*Men's Singles - Fourth Round *

Andy Roddick USA (1)

vs.

Sjeng Schalken NED (16)

Marat Safin RUS

vs.

James Blake USA

Andre Agassi USA (4)

vs.

Paradorn Srichaphan THA (13)

Sebastien Grosjean FRA (9)

vs.

Robby Ginepri USA (32)

Hicham Arazi MAR

vs.

Mark Philippoussis AUS (10)

Andrei Pavel ROM

vs.

Juan Carlos Ferrero ESP (3)

David Nalbandian ARG (8)

vs.

Guillermo Canas ARG

Lleyton Hewitt AUS (15)

vs.

Roger Federer SUI (2)

Henman is out.

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ahhhhh henmania lost 2 sets to love up and @ 4-1 the writing was on the wall, but he didn’t concentrate and lost a winning match, he will be kicking himself over this. :mad:

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A-Rod defeated Sjeng Schalken in straight sets, has reached quarterfinals - Agassi, Henin-Hardenne have also qualified for the quarterfinals - shame James Blake and Venus Williams(who wasn't really the same player) eliminated.

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*Women's Singles - Quarter Finals *

Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL (1)

vs.

Lindsay Davenport USA (5)

Amelie Mauresmo FRA (4)

vs.

Fabiola Zuluaga COL (32)

Patty Schnyder SUI (22)

vs.

Lisa Raymond USA (25)

Anastasia Myskina RUS (6)

vs.

Kim Clijsters BEL (2)

Henin V Davenport will be an interesting and exciting clash.

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*Men's Singles - Quarter Finals *

Andy Roddick USA (1)

vs.

Marat Safin RUS

Andre Agassi USA (4)

vs.

Sebastien Grosjean FRA (9)

Hicham Arazi MAR

vs.

Juan Carlos Ferrero ESP (3)

David Nalbandian ARG (8)

vs.

Roger Federer SUI (2)

So who will win it, Roddick, Federer, Ferrero or Agassi.

I am supporting Agassi, but think Roddick might take it.

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I would like to see Roddick v Federer in Aussie Open Final.

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huge upset

Hashim Arazi played well:k:

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Roddick is out of the tournament in 5 sets :( - good fight by Marat Safin especially since he has been sidelined for 2/3 events - i have to say after a long time i have seen the supreme game of aces - worth watching it!

Agassi and Marat Safin will compete in the semis

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*Men's Singles - Semi Finals *

Marat Safin RUS

vs.

Andre Agassi USA (4)

Juan Carlos Ferrero ESP (3)

vs.

Roger Federer SUI (2)

*Women's Singles - Semi Finals *

Justine Henin-Hardenne BEL (1)

vs.

Fabiola Zuluaga COL (32)

Patty Schnyder SUI (22)

vs.

Kim Clijsters BEL (2)

I am still rooting for Agassi and amongst the women Henin. Lets see what happens.

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well if Aggassi couldn't win against Safin - then i don't think he will ever - i read yesterday he talked about coming into doubles with his wife Saffi - now that i will be looking forward to - Safin doesn't have much left in his tank to be honest - 5 long set games against Roddick really tested him - but i would not ruled him out against Aggasi.

as for Ferrero and Federer match - no question Ferrero has edge - and i think he will be the one to win the Australian Open

in women's - it does seem like to down between Belgium Girls - and definitely Hennin has advantage(even tho she's not the same player today as she was last year)