Courier kayoes Carlos Moya

WIMBLEDON, JUNE 23: If tennis followers are complaining about the lack of depth and maybe competition in men's tennis they had to be at t...

WIMBLEDON, JUNE 23: If tennis followers are complaining about the lack of depth and maybe competition in men8217;s tennis they had to be at the Centre Court today. A battle between two former world number ones, that too in a second round match, would go a long way in taking care of that depth bit. So when Jim Courier and Carlos Moya slugged it out for more than three hours, the result was not only a fascinating game of tennis but the sheer class of competition that exists between the men.

In the end, the American former world number one ran out a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 1, 3-6, 6-2 winner not before Moya, the king of clay, displayed some unusual serve and volley abilities which even prompted Courier to remark that Moya looked a better grasscourt player than he probably was. The Spaniard, seeded 12th, thus became the first seed in the men8217;s to be eliminated.

Another Spaniard, 16th seed Felix Mantilla also bit the dust losing out to 22-year-old American Paul Goldstein. A product of the US college system, Goldsteinprevailed 6-2 6-4 6-7 5/7 6-2.

Meanwhile, the top-seeded Indian pair of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi cruised into the round of 32 with an easy 6-4, 6-2, 7-6 3 win over Tom Kempers Netherlands and Michael Kohlmann Germany. The Indians were not really tested by the opponents and perhaps the positive side for the Indians is that they are serving pretty well and seemed to have got back their rhythm of old.

Moya8217;s fluency on grass was some kind of a revelation. There was none of that tentativeness which he had displayed on earlier occasions. He may not have done his record here any good he hasn8217;t gone past the second round but left the All England Club with the realisation that he has finally come to terms with the surface.

8220;I don8217;t know if I can return much better than I did today,8221; Courier said. 8220;He just kept coming up with great volleys all the time, and I was thinking eventually he was going to break down. He never did. I cracked a couple of times on my serve and it was touch and gountil the end I got the break and it seemed to break his spirit a bit.8221;

Moya8217;s inability to raise his percentage of first serves 8212; he just had 47 per cent when compared to Courier8217;s 72. That put so much pressure on the second delivery that Courier moved him from side to side, but could not succeed in closing out the point. The Spaniard did not give any pace on his returns as he merely used Courier8217;s pace to keep the ball at a very slow pace.

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8220;I8217;m never happy when I lose a match,8221; Moya said. 8220;But I don8217;t think I played bad. Every single return of his was going in and I had to volley every ball and it was very tough to beat him today.

8220;At least I8217;m leaving Wimbledon thinking that I have a system to play here which works and I can play well here. I know I8217;m not going to be the best ever, but I think I have chances to play well here,8221; Moya added.

Meanwhile, the Indians had a fairly good workout in the first round. They didn8217;t have to do much against Kempers-Kohlmann. This was a loosener anyway.Both Indians looked impressive with their play at the net and with Paes, coming in after the joint doubles title at Rosemalen Netherlands on a roll with his serves, it was just a matter of routine for the top seeds.

One break in the fifth game of the first set 8212; Kohlmann8217;s serve 8212; was enough to take the first set, and in the second the two breaks left the issue beyond doubt. In the third set tie-break, they ran-up a 6-1 lead before closing out the match at 7-3.

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They now meet the winners of Bobby Kokavec Canada/ Gabriel Tifu Romania and Alberto Martin Spain and Eyal Ran Israel.

In mixed doubles, Paes and Lisa Raymond US have been top-seeded, while Bhupathi and Anna Ellwood Australia are unseeded.

How The Seeds Fared

Men singles 1st round: 5-Richard Krajicek Ned bt Christian Ruud Nor 6-2 6-3 6-1; 14-Tommy Haas Ger bt Peter Wessels Net 3-6 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-4.

2nd Round: 1-Pete Sampras US bt Sebastien Lareau Can 6-4 6-2 6-3; 7-Mark Philippoussis Aus btMark Woodforde Aus 6-7 4-7 7-6 8-6 7-6 7-5 6-4; 9-Greg Rusedski GBr bt Arvind Parmar GBr 6-3 6-4 7-6 7-3; Jim Courier US bt 12-Carlos Moya Spa 6-3 3-6 7-6 7/1 3-6 6-2; 13-Karol Kucera Slo bt Andre Sa Bra 7-6 7-4 6-3 6-2; 14-Tommy Haas Ger bt Peter Wessels Net 3-6 6-4 4-6 6-3 6-4; Paul Goldstein US bt 16-Felix Mantilla Spa 6-2 6-4 6-7 5-7 6-2.

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Doubles 1st round: 1-Leander Paes/ Mahesh Bhupathi Ind bt Tom Kempers Net/ Michael Kohlmann Ger 6-4 6-2 7-6 7/3

Women singles 1st round: 3-Lindsay Davenport US bt Alexandra Fusai 6-0 6-3.

2nd Round: 2-Steffi Graf Ger bt Mariane de Swardt SA 2-6 6-3 6-2; 4-Monica Seles US bt Marlene Weingartner 6-0 6-0; 6-Venus Williams US bt Elena Tatarkova 6-3, 6-4; 8-Nathalie Tauziat Fra bt Amanda Hopmans Net 6-3 6-4; 12-Amanda Coetzer SA bt Miho Saeki Jap 6-4 6-1; 13-Sandrine Testud Fra bt Barbara Rittner Ger 7-6 7/2 6-1; 15-Dominique Van Roost Belg bt Kristie Boogert Net 6-3 6-3;17-Anna Kournikova Rus bt Maria Alejandra Vento Ven 7-5 6-4.

Men8217;s Singles 1st round: Todd Woodbridge Aus bt Orlin Stanoytchev Bul 6-3 6-7 4/7 6-4 6-7 5/7 10-8.

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2nd round: Daniel Nestor Can bt Andrei Medvedev Ukr 6-1 7-5 6-3; Sebastien Grosjean Fra bt Jamie Delgado GBr 6-2 6-2 7-6 7/2; Cedric Pioline Fra bt Arnaud Clement Fra 6-3 6-1 6-3; Danny Sapsford Bri bt Galo Blanco Spa 6-3 3-6 6-4 6-2; Magnus Norman Swe bt Fabrice Santoro Fra 6-2 6-3 7-6 7/5; Daniel Vacek Cze bt Gianluca Pozzi Ita 4-6 6-3 7-6 8/6 5-7 6-3; Sjeng Schalken Net bt Andrew Ilie Aus 6-4 6-1 2-6 6-3

Women singles 2nd round: Ines Gorrochategui Arg bt Ruxandra Dragomir Rom 6-2 6-2; Kim Clijsters Net bt Karen Cross GBr 6-2 6-0; Elena Likhovtseva Rus bt Ai Sugiyama Jap 7-6 8/6 6-1; Tamarine Tanasugarn Thai bt Maureen Drake Can 6-4 6-3; Corina Morariu USbt Janet Lee Tai 6-2 6-4; Mirjana lucic Cro bt Mariana Diaz-Oliva Arg 6-2 6-1; Seda NoorlanderNet bt Jennifer Capriati US 6-1 6-3; Sarah Pitkowski Fra bt Louise Latimer GBr 7-5 5-7 6-3

Doubles 1st Round: Jelena Dokic Aus/ Tina Pisnik Slove bt Eva Melicharova/ Helena Vildova Cze 7-5 6-2