Top seed Ljubicic crashes on Dutch grass

Ivan Ljubicic was knocked out of ATP-WTA grasscourt event Rd 2 after losing to Alejandro Falla.

S`hertogenbosch: Croatian top seed Ivan Ljubicic was knocked out of the ATP-WTA grasscourt event in the second round after losing to Colombia`s Alejandro Falla.

Ljubicic, the world number 15 and a champion here in 2007, served 12 aces but converted just one of eight break points and eventually went down 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) to the world number 65. Falla will face Xavier Malisse in the quarter-finals after the Belgian defeated Daniel Brands of Brazil in three sets, 4-6, 6-1, 7-5. Eighth seed Benjamin Becker of Germany and Serbian seventh seed Janko Tipsarevic both booked their spots in the second round. Becker beat Finland`s Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 3-6, 6-4, while Tipsarevic overcame Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 to break a three-and-a-half-month losing streak."The past two months have been the toughest time of my career," Tipsarevic told the ATP website. "The day before my match at Indian Wells I broke my ribs and I got sick in Rome. I haven’t played many tournaments and went to Roland Garros with one day of practice." Russian third seed Maria Kirilenko was the biggest casualty in the women`s draw, after she retired at 6-3, 3-3 down in her second-round tie with Belgium`s Kirsten Flipkens due to an abdominal injury.Ana Ivanovic, the Serbian former world number one, was eliminated after losing 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1 to German seventh seed Andrea Petkovic. Bureau Report