Another first-round exit for Cash

GSTAAD, July 8: Third seed Sergi Bruguera broke the will of Pat Cash, earning a 6-3, 6-1 first-round win at the 575,000 Swiss Open today ...

GSTAAD, July 8: Third seed Sergi Bruguera broke the will of Pat Cash, earning a 6-3, 6-1 first-round win at the 575,000 Swiss Open today which left the veteran Australian pondering his long-term future in the game.

Wild card entry Cash, the Wimbledon champion a decade ago, found himself outmaneuvered by the three-time tournament champion on the fast clay courts.8220;I8217;m still very competitive in doubles and I still believe I can play competitive singles on certain surfaces,8221; said the 32-year-old Cash, now ranked No 386 on the ATP Tour. 8220;But if I can8217;t consistently play in tournaments, there really isn8217;t any hope to compete.

8220;I8217;ll make my decision, probably at the end of this year, whether I8217;ll continue my singles or not.8221;

London-based Cash, who qualified for Wimbledon but lost in the first round, said that it has become hard work trying to get into tournaments. He has been depending recently on wild card invitations, but those will certainly dry up sometime.

8220;I enjoy doubles and even qualifying sometimes. But I don8217;t want to go back out on the Challenger circuit and try to build up my ranking,8221; he said. 8220;I prefer to spend time with my guitar.8221;

Italy8217;s Renzo Furlan levelled his career-record against German Marc Goellner, coming back for a 5-7, 6-0, 6-4 trip into the second round.Fifth-seeded defending champion Albert Costa of Spain crashed out in a first-round upset, a 6-2, 1-6, 6-4 victim of American Richey Reneberg.Second seed Alex Corretja stopped the rot for the Spaniards with his 6-3, 7-5 win over Czech Jiri Novak. Italian Open champion Corretja broke for 6-5 and drove an untouchable backhand down the line in the next game to end the contest.

Seeds advance

NEWPORT: Fourth seed Sandon Stolle of Australia, fifth seed Sargis Sargsian of Armenia and eighth seed Brett Steven of New Zealand posted straight-set victories yesterday at the 255,000 Hall Of Fame tennis championships.Stolle beat American Steve Campbell 6-2 6-2, Sargsian got past Canadian Daniel Nestor 7-6 7-3 7-5 and Steven disposed of Mexican qualifier Luis Herrera 6-3 6-2. Alex Radulescu of Germany and Australian Mark Woodforde are the top seeds at this event.

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Radulescu, ranked 83rd in the world, reached the third round at Wimbledon and was a finalist of April8217;s Gold Flake Open in India.