 Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 17 May 2005 |  Photographer: Eleanor Preston
Date: 16 Dec 2004 |  Photographer: Francesco Panunzio
Date: 17 May 2005 | | | |
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| 18 May 2005 - ITF - James Harrisson | |
| Order restored in Milan |
After so many surprises on day one of the Italian Open in Milan, many people were left wondering if the second day could possibly live up to expectations. With 9 seeded players falling at the first hurdle on the clay courts of the Tennis Club Milano, many lower ranked competitors were left with the opportunity to win valuable ranking points at the fourth grade A of the year.
In fact, the results on day two threw up far fewer surprises, as players at the top end of the ITF junior rankings settled down and forced their way through to round three. Top seed Slovakian, Dominica Cibulkova, glided past Sandhya Nagaraj from India 6-3 6-0 and into the last 16 of the girls’ competition. Third seed Caroline Wozniaki went down 6-2 in the opening set against qualifier Stefanie Vogele from Switzerland. However, the Danish world number ten held her nerve to take the next two sets 6-4 6-2 and set up a quarter final clash with thirteenth seed Evgeniya Rodina from Russia. Ekaterina Makarova will meet local favourite Sara Errani in the next round after seeing off Slovakian Magdalena Rybarikova in straight sets. Errani, one of only three Italian girls left in this year’s event, dropped only two games in her opening two matches and will feel she has the capacity to advance much further in this competition. Fourth seed Vania King from the USA will face another Italian, Corina Dentoni, after beating Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenko 6-2 3-6 6-1.
Amongst the other players in to the last 16 were Mihaela Buzarnescu (ROM), beating Verdiana Verdari (ITA) 6-3 6-1, Bibiane Schoofs (NED) who conceded just one game on her way past Maya Gaverova (RUS), Roxane Vaisemberg (BRA), who cruised past Evgeniya Grebenuk in straight sets and Raluca Olaru (ROM), who struggled against Ana Tatishvili (GEO) but eventually went through 76(4) 5-7 6-3.
The boys’ draw saw a few more casualties. With four seeds, including World number one Donald Young, failing to advance beyond the first round, another three of draw’s top players were knocked out on day two. World number five Sergei Bubka, winner last week in Santa Croce, never really got going against American Alex Clayton, losing in two sets, 6-3 7-5. Thiemo De Bakke from the Netherlands, who lost to Bubka in last week’s grade 1, also lost to Australian James Lemke in a closely fought contest, which eventually saw the tenth seed go down 5-7 6-3 6-4. The other shock of the day was eighth seed Piero Luisi from Venzuela losing to Russian Valery Rudnev. After an extremely close first set, which Rudnev, ranked 91, eventually took in a tiebreak, Luisi suffered a complete lapse of concentration and surrendered the second set 6-1. Pavel Chekhov (RUS), who thrashed top seed Donald Young in round one was yesterday on the receiving end of a 6-4 6-4 defeat to Moroccan Anas Fattar. Milan born Andrea Arnaboldi dropped just two games against his wild card compatriot Alessio Abbondanzieri, while another Italian, Thomas Fabbiano, started well against seventh seed Niels Desien from Belarus before eventually losing in two sets, 76(1) 6-2.
Other seeds through to the third round are Luis Henrique Grangeiro (BRA), Ryan Sweeting (BAH), Carsten Ball (USA), Alexander Sadecky (SUI), Andreas Haider Maurer (AUT), Evgeny Kirillov (RUS) and second seed Leonardo Mayer (ARG) who, with so many top ranked players knocked out, must now fancy his chances of winning this title.
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