2005 Cincinnati

[tall_one]

(1) FEDERER, Roger SUI v (WC) BLAKE, James USA
KIEFER, Nicolas GER v Qualifier
VOLANDRI, Filippo ITA v ROCHUS, Olivier BEL
SANTORO, Fabrice FRA v (14) LJUBICIC, Ivan CRO

(9) CORIA, Guillermo ARG v SRICHAPHAN, Paradorn THA
Qualifier v ROCHUS, Christophe BEL
EL AYNAOUI, Younes MAR v ACASUSO, Jose ARG
ROBREDO, Tommy ESP v (8) GAUDIO, Gaston ARG


(4) SAFIN, Marat RUS v (Q) Jan Hernych
(WC) MURRAY, Andy GBR v DENT, Taylor USA
MIRNYI, Max BLR v SODERLING, Robin SWE
HRBATY, Dominik SVK v (13) JOHANSSON, Thomas SWE

(10) PUERTA, Mariano ARG v (WC) GINEPRI, Robby USA
Qualifier v FERRER, David ESP
Qualifier v SPADEA, Vincent USA
MOYA, Carlos ESP v (7) AGASSI, Andre USA

(6) DAVYDENKO, Nikolay RUS v GROSJEAN, Sebastien FRA
(SE) MATHIEU, Paul-Henri FRA v HAAS, Tommy GER
GONZALEZ, Fernando CHI v Qualifier
PAVEL, Andrei ROM v (11) NALBANDIAN, David ARG

(16) GASQUET, Richard FRA v LOPEZ, Feliciano ESP
ANCIC, Mario CRO v MELLO, Ricardo BRA
Qualifier v RUSEDSKI, Greg GBR
ANDREEV, Igor RUS v (3) HEWITT, Lleyton AUS

(5) RODDICK, Andy USA v MELZER, Jurgen AUT
Qualifier v FERRERO, Juan Carlos ESP
MARTIN, Alberto ESP v CHELA, Juan Ignacio ARG
MASSU, Nicolas CHI v (12) HENMAN, Tim GBR

(15) STEPANEK, Radek CZE v (WC) MONFILS, Gael FRA
NOVAK, Jiri CZE v BECK, Karol SVK
YOUZHNY, Mikhail RUS v SAULNIER, Cyril FRA
BERDYCH, Tomas CZE v (2) NADAL, Rafael ESP

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teresa said:

Mason to welcome world’s top players
No. 1 Federer, defending champ Agassi in field
By Steven Matthews



MASON — Once again, the stars will be out in Mason for the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters.

The top 51 men’s tennis players in the world will be showcased at the Lindner Family Tennis Center, minus only those nursing injuries, beginning Monday and running through Aug. 21.

“It’s incredible,” tournament director Bruce Flory said of the field. “We’re so fortunate to have the top players, and most are coming in healthy.”

Headlining the list of players is world No. 1-ranked Roger Federer, who has a 58-3 record in 2005 and a total of nine titles, including his third Wimbledon championship. He has 30 career singles titles, but has never advanced past the Round of 32 in Mason.

Federer is not playing in the Rogers Cup in Montreal this week because of a foot injury, but Flory said he expects the world’s top player to be in Mason.

“That is the plan, but you never know until they get here,” said Flory, noting that 16th-ranked Joachim Johansson has pulled out of the tournament as a result of a shoulder injury. “It looks like (Federer’s) good to go.”

Also expected to compete is defending champion Andre Agassi (ranked sixth), as well as last year’s finalist Lleyton Hewitt (third), French Open champion Rafael Nadal (second), Australian Open champ Marat Safin (fourth), and Wimbledon finalist and 2003 champ Andy Roddick (fifth).

“We’re so grateful for what kind of field we have,” Flory said. “We’re just so fortunate. We made some of our fortune, but we appreciate what we have.”

Agassi has an impressive 31-10 career record in Mason, including back-to-back titles in 1995 and ’96, and a 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Hewitt in last year’s final.

A hip injury kept Agassi out of action for two months, but the 35-year-old bounced back with his 60th career title with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Gilles Muller in the finals of Los Angeles on July 31.

Other Americans scheduled to participate are Taylor Dent (22nd) and Vincent Spadea (43rd).

Americans Robby Ginepri (60th), Mardy Fish (66th) and James Blake (101st) have each been granted a wild card, while France’s Gael Monfils (46th) was given the final wild card Monday after winning his first career ATP title in Poland the day before.

The remainder of the 64-player main draw field will be completed with eight qualifiers and one special exemption.

The 32-player qualifier field features recognizable names such as Xavier Malisse (58th), Wayne Arthurs (77th), and Americans Justin Gimelstob (98th) and Jan-Michael Gambill (144th), a 2001 quarterfinalist.

All qualifier matches are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, and the eight players who win two matches advance to the main draw.

“We have players in the qualifying field that are marquee names,” Flory said. “It’s incredibly deep. The first-round matches will be like the Wimbledon qualifier or the U.S. Open qualifier. When you say qualifier, people think it’s not quite as good, but that’s not the case here.”

The tournament is in its 107th year — the longest running in the nation still being played in its original city — and this year’s event has a $2.45 million purse, with the champion walking away with $400,000.
For tickets or more information, call [phone] or visit the Web site: www.cincytennis.com. Tickets also are available through TicketMaster at [phone] or www.ticketmaster.com.

The Senior Tournament will take place Friday and Saturday, with the draw revealed at 3 p.m. today.

The eight-player field for the mixed doubles event consists of Luke Jensen, Tom Gullikson, Mansour Bahrami, Guillermo Vilas, Gigi Fernandez, Hana Mandlikova, Kathy Rinaldi and Brenda Schultz-McCarthy.


Contact Steven Matthews at [phone] or by e-mail at [e-mail].

Masters Series


What: Western & Southern Financial Group Masters

When: Friday-Aug. 21

Where: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason

Tickets: Call [phone] or visit the Web site: www.cincytennis.com. Tickets also are available through TicketMaster at [phone] or www.ticketmaster.com.

[tall_one]

11.08.05 Competition re tickets for Cincinnati

We (maratsafin.com) have 2 tickets for 2 fans (that is one each) who are in Cinicinnati and will be able to attend Marat's first match. Please email through the contact form giving your full name, contact cell/mobile no. and confirming that you will be there at the tennis.

Please note this is only available for the fans who will be at the tennis or live in Cincinnati. As this is late I need to hear from you by latest Saturday night midnight US time(Cincinnati). I will email the 2 lucky winners on Sunday and advise where to collect their tickets.Do not know which day it is until the draw comes out and first days order of play. Please note cannot promise meeting Marat but will leave it to Peter who will probably arrange the tickets.

[annie]

annie said:

YAY!!!!!!!!!!! BRING ON CINCI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DAVAI MARAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait for his comeback

ROTFL

[annie]

safinno1 said:

Thanks for the article teresa, cant wait until Cinci but i hope the schedule is not like in montreal, where none of the big players played on Monday, i just wanna see marat play as soon as possible

[annie]

phew OK, all is transferred to the new home......

HAVE A SAFE TRIP TO CINCI PETE AND MARAT AND LET'S KICK SOME BUTTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tall_one]

lol be glad there was only a few posts

Good luck Marat!!!!

[annie]

YAY!!!!!!!!!! BANANAS ARE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[CaliforniaSuds]

I think Marat is going to do pretty well in Cinci. I don't think he would play if his knee still feels weak. I'm so looking forwarding to some great shots, some big shouting and a smashola of a racket or two. Cheers Marat!

[Teresa]

author=californiasuds board=tournament thread=1123767727 post=1123870166]I think Marat is going to do pretty well in Cinci. I don't think he would play if his knee still feels weak. I'm so looking forwarding to some great shots, some big shouting and a smashola of a racket or two. Cheers Marat!

Lawd I hope you are right about him doing well. Guess we won't know about the knee until he starts playing.

I too am soooooooo looking forward to some great shots and some *screaming* not to mention the smashing of a racquet.

I laughed so much last night with Keifer ( and to think they say all they say about Marat) in his match against Agassi. They guy is a loose cannon. I was so hoping he would do better, even win, but I think his temper got the better of him, he got soooo worked up!!

[lau]

Draw is out.....(look first post)
Is it a good or a bad draw..?

Woohooo!!! It`s tennis time again guys!!!


( I just noticed this >> Poor Carlos )

[Teresa]

I think the draw could be worse, but then Marat has not played on any surface for over a month, and we don't know who the quali is.

So this been his first tournament after 4 weeks or more its going to be difficult for him.

UDACHI Marat mi s tobOy

[tall_one]

if i'm reading the draw right the qualifer would be Sanguinetti (4-2 marat leads), Garcia-Lopez (0-0), Moodie (0-0) or Seppi (0-0).

[Jasmine]

Quite surprise with the draw, when I saw Marat as #4 and Andy # 5. Oh yes, I totally agree with it. I know Andy can't win over Marat from their current form, and I'm waiting for Marat to beat Andy(Get revenge from Thailand Open last year. ) It just doesn't match with ATP rank. But good decision from the tourny ;D

[tall_one]

jasmine said:

Quite surprise with the draw, when I saw Marat as #4 and Andy # 5. Oh yes, I totally agree with it. I know Andy can't win over Marat from their current form, and I'm waiting for Marat to beat Andy(Get revenge from Thailand Open last year. ) It just doesn't match with ATP rank. But good decision from the tourny ;D

Marat hasn't played since Wimby, even Andy in poor form could probably beat Marat. geesh the guy just had knee surgery, don't get your hopes up so high

and they are ranked according to their seeds, seedings are based on the Entry Rankings not on the other (stupid) Champions Race.

Entry Rankings
1 Federer, R. 6500
2 Nadal, R. 4030
3 Hewitt, L. 3455
4 Safin, M. 3175
5 Roddick, A. 3175
6 Davydenko, N. 2115
7 Agassi, A. 1915
8 Gaudio, G. 1875
9 Coria, G. 1745