Vacek ousts Kafelnikov

TASHKENT UZBEKISTAN, SEPT 16: Unseeded Daniel Vacek of the Czech Republic beat top-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia last night in th...

TASHKENT UZBEKISTAN, SEPT 16: Unseeded Daniel Vacek of the Czech Republic beat top-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia last night in the second round of the 500,000 President8217;s Cup.

Kafelnikov, Russia8217;s top player, currently ranked second on the ATP tour rankings, lost five games in a row in the first set but then leveled to an even 5-5 and lost the set on a tie-break. He then easily won the next set.

In the third set, after trading first serves both players, held until Vacek, Kafelnikov8217;s doubles partner, broke his friend in the 11th game.

He then fired an ace in the 12th to take a 40-30 lead. After a long rally, the nervous Kafelnikov sunk a drop-shot into the net and lost the match.

8220;I didn8217;t want to lose, and squeezed the maximum out of myself today. It8217;s a pity when you struggle but the result is negative,8221; Kafelnikov told reporters.

Earlier in the day, George Bastl of Switzerland, a qualifier for the tournament, staged another upset as he beat his countryman seventh-seeded Marc Rosset,6-3, 7-6 6-4.

Bastl, currently ranked 154, reached his first career quarterfinals.

Rosset, in despair, smashed his racket into pieces. He left the court and went straight to the hotel without going to the locker room.

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Third-seeded Nicolas Kiefer of Germany beat Lorenzo Manta of Switzerland 6-4, 6-4 and will face Cecil Mamiit of the United States. Mamiit made his way to the quarterfinals as he downed Ville Liukko of Finland, 6-3, 7-5.

In other action yesterday, Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand beat Ivo Heuberger of Switzerland, 7-5, 7-6 6-2, while German Axe Pretzsch ousted Armenian Sargis Sargsian 6-3, 5-7, 7-5.

Anthony Dupuis of France disposed of Italian Laurence Tieleman 6-2, 6-3 and Peter Wessels of Netherlands downed Roger Federer of Switzerland 4-6, 7-6 6-1, 6-4.

Corretja in last eight

PALMA dE MALLORCA: No 2 seed Alex Corretja of Spain boosted his chances of winning the 500,000 Mallorca Open ATP tennis tournament when he ousted compatriot Alberto Martin in two sets last nightto make it to the quarterfinals.

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Corretja, who won 6-1, 6-2, now faces Argentine Hernan Gumy tomorrow after the South American dispatched countryman Francisco Squillari 7-6 7-4, 6-3.

Earlier, Spain8217;s Juan Carlos Ferrero ousted Bulgarian Stanoytchev yesterday, to reach the quarters.

Playing in a specially adapted clay court in Palma8217;s bullring, Ferrero downed the Bulgarian in a tie breaker, 6-3, 7-6 7-4. Stanoytchev pulled one of the surprise results on Tuesday by eliminating No. 3 seed Albert Costa of Spain.

The Mallorca tournament was left without its top seed and world No. 15 Carlos Moya who was defeated by fellow Spaniard Juan Balcells on Tuesday.

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In other games yesterday, Spain8217;s Francisco Clavet sank Jens Knippschild of Germany, 6-7 3-7, 6-4, 6-4. Argentina8217;s Gaston Gaudio also fell by the wayside when he was dispatched with by Austria8217;s Markus Hipfl 7-5, 6-1 in a postponed first-round match.