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Easy wins for Venus, Hewitt
http://www.sina.com.cn 2004/01/29 11:26  Shanghai Daily

  Venus Williams looked rejuvenated from a six-month layoff. Williams returned at the Australian Open and needed less than an hour yesterday to beat American teenager Ashley Harkleroad 6-2, 6-1 in a first-round match.

  "It's been a long, long time," she said.

  The third-seeded Williams was very focused on Melbourne Park's center court. She showed no rust and no signs of the abdominal injury that sidelined her while serving at speeds up to 119mph.

  "Afterward, it was really just a breath of fresh air: 'Oh yes, I'm back now. I'm doing good,"' Williams said.

  And competitors better beware.

  "I feel like definitely I'm still on the rise," she said.

  Williams' only slips were a twisted ankle in the fourth game and one dropped service game, in the fifth game of the second set. "I was going for my swing volley and twisted my right ankle," she said. "I'll monitor it, see how it goes - I'm not expecting it'll cause any problems."

  Her last match was a loss in the Wimbledon final last July to her sister Serena, who also beat her in the Australian Open final.

  "It's just not the same. We're always together - it's like a piece of the link is missing," Williams said of Serena. "I'm alone in the room. Phone's not ringing, because her phone's always ringing non-stop. I miss her. No doubles."

  Second-seeded Kim Clijsters of Belgium, who injured an ankle two weeks ago, advanced by overpowering Marlene Weingartner of Germany. Weingartner knocked off defending champion Jennifer Capriati in her first round last year while advancing to the fourth round.

  Clijsters often had the German off-balance or lunging for stinging shots into the corners and finished off the match in an hour with a forehand crosscourt that kissed the line.

  Six more seeded men lost, including No. 5 Guillermo Coria, raising the total to 13 in two days. Also eliminated was 1994 Wimbledon winner Conchita Martinez, the 13th-seeded woman, who lost 7-6 (7), 6-1 to Puerto Rico's Kristina Brandi.

  Wimbledon champion Roger Federer found the range with his powerful forehand and beat Alex Bogomolov Jr 6-3, 6-4, 6-0. The second-seeded Federer reeled off seven consecutive games to close in 1 hour, 29 minutes and extend Bogomolov's record in Grand Slam tournaments to 0-5.

  Federer will meet another American qualifier in the second round after Jeff Morrison beat Dennis van Scheppingen 6-4, 6-2, 6-4.

  Former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt was leading Cecil Mamiit 6-2, 6-4, 0-1 when the American retired after he crashed into the umpire's chair while chasing a drop shot.

  Mamiit had his right ankle treated, served in the next game and then withdrew.

  "I've never seen anything like that before," Hewitt said. "I think I'd worked into a position that was going to be hard for him to get out of anyway."

  Hewitt's last three rivals have all retired during matches. Dutchman Martin Verkerk withdrew from their semifinal in Sydney last week. Former French Open champion Carlos Moya sprained his right ankle in the Sydney final, also knocking him out of the Australian Open.

  In other men's matches, 10th-seeded Mark Philippoussis, the hero of Australia's Davis Cup finals victory over Spain last month, thrilled the home fans with a 7-6 (6), 6-2, 7-6 (4) win over Thomas Johansson of Sweden. Johansson won the 2002 Australian Open before sitting out all of last season with a knee injury.

  Third-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero needed only 66 minutes to beat fellow Spaniard Albert Montanes 6-0, 6-1, 6-1, eighth-seeded David Nalbandian of Argentina beat Brazilian Ricardo Mello 6-2, 6-1, 6-4, and No. 11 Tim Henman of Britain defeated Spain's Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-4, 6-2.

  They avoided the rash of upsets that claimed Martin Verkerk (17th), Felix Mantilla (23rd), Max Mirnyi (24), Jonas Bjorkman (25th) and Felicio Lopez (28th).

  Greg Rusedski lost 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 to 26th-seeded Albert Costa in likely his last match before he faces an ATP doping hearing at Montreal on February 9. Rusedski admitted two weeks ago he'd tested positive for nandrolone last July, but claims the banned steroid was contained in supplements dispensed by ATP trainers.




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