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 men’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 men’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.

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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.

Moya’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 hasn’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.

“I don’t know if I can return much better than I did today,” Courier said. “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.”

Moya’s inability to raise his percentage of first serves — he just had 47 per cent when compared to Courier’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 Courier’s pace to keep the ball at a very slow pace.

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“I’m never happy when I lose a match,” Moya said. “But I don’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.

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

Meanwhile, the Indians had a fairly good workout in the first round. They didn’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 — Kohlmann’s serve — 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.

Men’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 (US)bt Janet Lee (Tai) 6-2 6-4; Mirjana lucic (Cro) bt Mariana Diaz-Oliva (Arg) 6-2 6-1; Seda Noorlander(Net) 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