NST Online: Sports

Tennis / Malaysian Open: Dream start for Petzschner

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 04:58 PM PDT

2011/09/28
Ajitpal Singh and Fadli Ishak
nstsport@nstp.com.my

US Open champions Phillip Petzschner (left) and Jurgen Melzer beat Mikhail Elgin and Mikhail Kukushkin 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 in their match yesterday. — Picture by Fariz Iswadi Ismail

GERMANY'S Phillip Petzschner made a grand debut in the ATP Malaysian Open by winning both his singles and doubles first round matches while Russia's former champion Nikolay Davydenko also had a good start at the Putra Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.

Petzschner, the World No 66, defeated compatriot Mischa Zverev 7-5, 6-3 for his 22nd win of the season. The 27-year-old squandered a double break lead in the opening set before breaking for the third time to clinch it. He broke Zverev's serve twice in the second to prevail in 72 minutes.

"I started really well as I had a break point for 5-0 in the first set but didn't take it. It's great to get through the first match," said Petzschner yesterday.

He returned to court a few hours later with Austria's Jurgen Melzer in their first tournament together since winning the US Open doubles title.

The World No 5 struggled in the first set before prevailing 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 over the Russian and Kazakhstan combination of Mikhail Elgin and Mikhail Kukushkin in 74 minutes.

"It feels good returning to court after our triumph in the US Open. The victory in New York has given us a lot of confidence and I am glad we won our match today (yesterday)," said Melzer.

Melzer and Petzschner are not thinking about their quarter-final opponents in doubles as both prefer to concentrate on singles first.

The match of the day was, however, between Davydenko, the World No 36 and the United States' Ryan Harrison with the experienced Russian easily winning 6-3, 6-2 in 90 minutes.

Davydenko, the former World No 3, had a clear edge from the back of the court as Harrison, the World No 82, struggled to contain his opponent's flawless baseline game.

"It is physically tough here as the ball travels slower than normal on this court and it is tough to hit winners," said Davydenko, who won the Malaysian Open in 2009.

Davydenko, a winner of 21 ATP titles, faces Poland's World No 29 Lukasz Kubot, who defeated Czech Republic's Lukas Rosol 6-3, 6-3 yesterday, in the second round tomorrow.

India's Asian Games champion Somdev Devvarman set a second-round clash with Cyprus' Marcos Baghdatis after overcoming Russian qualifier Mikhail Ledovskikh 7-6 (7-5), 6-4.

"I'm still not 100 per cent with my shoulder, but I wanted to give myself a chance by coming here," said Somdev, the fourth highest Asian on the ATP rankings at 89.

Spain's top seed Nicolas Almagro, who received a first round bye, will face compatriot Albert Ramos, after the World No 80 beat Mikhail Kukushkin 4-6, 6-3, 4-2 when the Kazakhstani was forced to retire due to illness.

RESULTS -- Men's singles (1st rd): Dmitry Tursunov (Rus) bt Paul Capdeville (Chile), 6-2,2-6, 6-1; Philipp Petzschner (Ger) bt Mischa Zverev (Ger) 7-5, 6-3; Albert Ramos (Spa) bt Mikhail Kukushkin (Kaz) 4-6, 6-3, 4-2 (rtd); Somdev Devvarman (Ind) bt Mikhail Ledovskikh (Rus) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4; Lukasz Kubot (Pol) bt Lukas Rosol (Cze) 6-3, 6-3; Rik De Voest (SA) bt Ryan Sweeting (US) 4-6, 6-3 6-3; Nikolay Davydenko (Rus) bt Ryan Harrison (US) 6-3, 6-2; Kei Nishikori (Jpn) bt Tetmuraz Gabashvili (Rus) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

Men's doubles (1st rd): Jurgen Melzer (Aut)-Phillipp Petzschner (Ger) bt Mikhail Elgin (Rus)-Mikhail Kukushkin (Kaz) 7-6 (7-5), 6-2; Matthew Ebden-Bernard Tomic (Aus) bt Lukasz Kubot (Pol)-Dmitry Tursunov (Rus) 6-3, 6-2; Scott Lipsky-Rajeev Ram (US) bt Paul Capdeville (Chile)-Ryan Sweeting (US) 6-3, 6-2.

Football / Malaysia Cup: Sabah, Selangor make q-finals

Posted: 27 Sep 2011 04:56 PM PDT

[unable to retrieve full-text content]SELANGOR staged a grand fight-back to resurrect their Malaysia Cup campaign after scoring two second half goals to down Kuala Lumpur 2-1 and advance to the quarter-finals.

Kredit: www.nst.com.my

Selasa, 27 September 2011

NST Online: Sports

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