Nadal through, Safin dumped out
Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal issued a warning to his rivals in the Barcelona Open on Wednesday with a merciless 6-0 6-2 second-round destruction of Gilles Muller, but top seed Marat Safin was dumped out by Argentine Jose Acasuso 6-4 6-4 in the second round on Wednesday.
The big Russian, who won the Australian Open at the start of the year but has gone off the boil since, found himself up against it from the start against his determined and highly focused opponent.
Acasuso, who beat Safin in their only previous meeting in the World Team Cup in Germany in 2002, edged the first set and then made the crucial breakthrough in the fifth game of the second when he came to the net to earn a third break point.
Safin, a winner in Barcelona in 2000 and finalist in 2003, lost the game to trail 3-2 and began to lose his temper as he struggled to cope with Acasuso's heavy ground strokes.
The Argentine set up three match points when he caught Safin out with a delicate drop shot and won the match after the Russian netted a backhand return.
Acasuso now faces a third-round contest with Swiss qualifier Stanislas Wawrinka, who beat Paradorn Srichaphan 1-6 6-3 7-6.
MERCILESS NADAL
Earlier, Spanish teenager Rafael Nadal issued a warning to his rivals that he is the player to beat with a merciless 6-0 6-2 second-round destruction of Gilles Muller.
The 18-year-old, who became the youngest winner of a Masters Series event in 15 years when he beat Guillermo Coria in Monte Carlo last week, ripped through the first set in just 15 minutes.
The unseeded Muller, who hails from Luxembourg, was unable to match his opponent's powerful two-handed drives and sizzling forehands. After a brief rally in the second set, he succumbed to the in-form Spaniard.
Nadal, who is at a career-high number 11 in the rankings, will now face a third-round match against Dominik Hrbaty. The Slovakian beat Italy's Potito Starace 6-3 6-2.
Coria fought off a strong challenge from big-serving Dutchman Peter Wessels to earn a 6-2 6-7 6-4 victory.
The fourth-seeded Argentine was joined in the third round by an improving Juan Carlos Ferrero, who eased to a 6-4 6-4 win over Feliciano Lopez in one of the day's two all-Spanish showdowns.
Defending champion Tommy Robredo, however, went down 6-1 6-4 to fellow Spaniard Alberto Martin.
CORIA SCARE
Coria looked on the verge of cracking after the towering Wessels had stormed through a tiebreak to take the second set.
The two players traded breaks at the start of the final set and Wessels broke again to take a 3-1 lead but Coria managed to compose himself and took advantage of a double fault by Wessels to level at 3-3.
The 23-year-old used his superior court craft to engineer a beak point with a delicate pass in the 10th game and took the match when Wessels sent a loose backhand into the tramlines.
Coria faces a tricky match in the third round against compatriot Agustin Calleri, who edged a tightly contested all-Argentine duel against Juan Ignacio Chela 6-3 6-7 7-6.
Ferrero had far less problems in his match against Davis Cup team mate Lopez.
The former world number one earned three break points in the ninth game with a clever lob and converted it at the first attempt with a firm backhand pass. He proceeded to serve out to love to take the match.
www.eurosport.com/imgbk/tennis/all/big_md-i180897.jpgcache.gettyimages.com/thumb/52662390.jpg?x=x&a=52662390&b=afp&t=1Frustrated Safin admits crisis of confidence
2005-04-20 18:06:03 GMT (Reuters)
By Simon Baskett
BARCELONA, April 20 (Reuters) - World number three Marat Safin has admitted facing a crisis of confidence after being dumped out of the Barcelona Open by Argentine Jose Acasuso on Wednesday.
The Russian, who started the year by winning the Australian Open, has lost form in recent months, losing to Juan Carlos Ferrero in Monte Carlo last week and suffering a surprise 6-4 6-4 defeat in his first match in Barcelona.
"I've had a poor two months after Australia and it's very frustrating to be in this position," said the 25-year-old.
"I've gradually lost all my confidence and that is why I lost today. My opponents know that I'm struggling and they obviously take advantage.
"I'm feeling a combination of frustration and pressure. I want to come back as fast as possible especially with the tournaments in Rome and Hamburg coming up, but there's no strategy to solve the problem it's just a question of running hard, fighting and waiting for my opportunity."
Acasuso, who beat Safin in their only previous meeting in the World Team Cup in Germany in 2002, edged the first set and made the crucial breakthrough in the fifth game of the second when he came to the net to earn a third break point.
Safin, a winner in Barcelona in 2000 and finalist in 2003, lost the game to trail 3-2 and began to lose his temper as he struggled to cope with Acasuso's heavy ground strokes and the partisan crowd got on his back.
The Argentine set up three match points when he caught Safin out with a delicate drop shot and won the match after the Russian netted a backhand return.
"He surprised me a little," Safin said. "He was lucky on a lot of points, but was very solid, he served quite well and made no serious errors."
The Russian was also forthright in his comments about the reception he received from the Barcelona crowd.
"I wasn't angry with the crowd, they were angry with me. But if they don't like what I do then I won't come, the tournament can save some money and I can save some time and everyone will be happy."
Despite his evident frustration, however, Safin remained philosophical about recovering his form before next month's French Open.
"It's only a sport, so I don't want to get carried away about it," he said. "But it's clear that no one likes to be in this position. I'm experiencing a low at the moment, but it can only get better -- when is the question though.
"If I continue fighting my opportunity will come and I'm sure that will be before French Open. Maybe I just need that little bit of luck to give me that extra push
and the article, and the video clip