E Bengal tops

CALCUTTA, June 11: Displaying scintillating soccer, local giants East Bengal lifted the third McDowell Cup trouncing star-studded FC Kochi ...

CALCUTTA, June 11: Displaying scintillating soccer, local giants East Bengal lifted the third McDowell Cup trouncing star-studded FC Kochi 3-1 at the floodlit Salt Lake stadium here tonight.

East Bengal launched into the attack right from the word go and drew first blood in the 17th minute when medio Somatai Saiza, later declared the man of the match, scored from a direct free kick 1-0.

Raman Vijayan headed home from inside the box to get the equaliser.Bijendra Singh 35 minute and substitute Samsi Reza8217;s 76th minute then put the issue beyond FC Kochi8217;s reach.

ed Acirc;not;Utacirc;euro;ordm;PCAcirc;frac14;Ttacirc;euro;ordm;as, playing his first singles match on grass this year, beat Javier Frana 6-3, 6-2 today to move into the third round.

Seeking to regain the title he won in 1995, the world8217;s top-ranked player needed less than an hour to down the Argentine in straight sets.

Earlier on Tuesday, Swiss fifth seed Marc Rosset and four other seeds were were sent packing. The giant Rosset capitulated 7-6 6-1 6-3 against lowly-ranked Frenchman Jerome Golmard.

Rosset was joined on the sidelines by 10th seed Jan Siemerink, 12th seed Cedric Pioline, number 13 Alex O8217;Brien and number 15 Marc-Kevin Goellner as surprise early exits.

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Britain8217;s fourth seed Tim Henman scraped into the third round fighting back from a set down to eventually edge compatriot Andrew Richardson 4-6 6-3 6-2.Dutchman Siemerink was dismissed by Stephane Simian of France 6-4 6-0 while in an all-France affair Pioline was eliminated by qualifier Jean-Philippe Fleurian 7-5 6-3.

British wild card Martin Lee, ranked 500th in the world, provided a big shock by seeing off world number 34 O8217;Brien of the United States 3-6 7-6 7-3 6-4.

Goellner, a semifinalist in 1995, fell to New Zealand8217;s Brett Steven 4-6 6-1 6-4.

Sixth seed Australian Mark Philippoussis made hard work of American Jonathan Stark before eventually advancing 7-6 12-10 3-6 6-3.

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Last week8217;s French Open semifinalists Filip Dewulf and Pat Rafter had very different destinies on the West London grass. Rafter, the ninth-seeded Australian, ran through Israel8217;s Eyal Ran with the minimum of fuss 7-5 6-2 while Belgian Dewulf was brought crashing back down to earth with a 6-7 6-8 6-4 6-2 defeat by 106th-ranked Canadian Daniel Nestor.