Rusedski makes progress

LONDON, FEB 22: Britainacirc;euro;trade;s Greg Rusedski eased his way into the second round of the Acirc;sup3;800,000 London Indoor ...

LONDON, FEB 22: Britainacirc;euro;trade;s Greg Rusedski eased his way into the second round of the Acirc;sup3;800,000 London Indoor Open ATP Tour Tennis Tournament last evening at the expense of Frenchman Arnaud Clement.

It took Rusedski just 64 minutes to brush aside Clement 6-3, 6-4 at London Arena and, after his early-season injury problems, the 26-year-old is keen to make this his 10th ATP tour career title.

Atilde;sup2;f3Atilde;sup3;Results 1st round: Atilde;sup2;f39Atilde;sup3;Greg Rusedski Britain bt Arnaud Clement France 6-3, 6-4, Daniel Vacek Czech bt Thomas Johansson Sweden 6-3, 6-2, 7-Dominik Hrbaty Czech bt Andrei Pavel 6-4, 6-3, Fabrice Santoro France bt Marat Safin Russia 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Lisa extended

Atilde;sup2;f3Atilde;sup3;OKLAHOMA CITY: Atilde;sup2;f39Atilde;sup3;Sixth-seeded Lisa Raymond beat Cara Black of Zimbabwe in a marathon first-round match at the Acirc;sup3;170,000 Iga Superthrift Tennis Classic.

Raymond, ranked 29th by the WTA, outlasted Black 6-3, 6-7 7-5, 7-6 7-4 in a match lasting 2 hours, 32 minutes.

Eighth-seeded Sarah Pitkowski France beat Bulgaria8217;s Lubormoria Bacheva 6-3, 6-7 6-7, 6-1 in the first round of the Iga Superthrift Tennis Classic on Monday.

Qualifier Mashona Washington advanced beating Taiwan8217;s Janet Lee 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 7-2, Italy8217;s Francesca Lubiani overcame Canada8217;s Jana Nejedly 6-3, 6-2,Thailand8217;s Tamarine Tanasugarn ousted Tara Snyder 6-3, 6-1 and Slovakia8217;s Daniela Hantuchova edged out Japan8217;s Shinobu Asagoe 6-4, 6-3

Graf to play Sabatini

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Atilde;sup2;f3Atilde;sup3;MANNHEIM: Atilde;sup2;f39Atilde;sup3;German tennis star Steffi Graf will square off against Gabriela Sabatini in Hanover for a farewell match in Germany on March 19, her company has said.

Graf, who injured her knee during a recent visit to Japan, is recuperating in the United States after being ordered to take one week rest, said a spokesman answering the telephone at Steffi Graf Sports Promotions in Mannheim on Monday.

Graf, 30, also hopes to play planned farewell matches in Stuttgart, Berlin and Oberhausen starting from March 3, probably against veteran Jana Novotna of the Czech Republic.

Sabatini, 29, who retired from professional tennis three years ago, last played an exhibition match again>