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Schuettler shuttles into second round in Japan Open
Tokyo, Oct 01: Top-seeded Rainer Schuettler of Germany cruised into the third round of the $860,000 AIG Japan Open yesterday, dispatching Japan`s Satoshi Iwabuchi 6-0, 6-4.
Tokyo, Oct 01: Top-seeded Rainer Schuettler of Germany cruised into the third round of the $860,000 AIG Japan Open yesterday, dispatching Japan's Satoshi Iwabuchi 6-0, 6-4.
The world no. 8, who received a first-round bye, had too many weapons for an overmatched Iwabuchi, ranked 238th.
"I got off to a good start and put him under pressure," said the 27-year-old Schuettler, who was the losing finalist at January's Australian Open. "He had to take some risks and that forced him to make some mistakes."
Eighth-seeded American Jan-Michael Gambill also advanced to the third round Tuesday at Tokyo's Ariake Colosseum when he got past Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4. Also winning second-round matches were sixth-seeded Nicolas Kiefer of Germany, a 7-5, 7-6 (7) winner over American Alex Bogomolov Jr., and seventh-seeded Lee Hyung-Taik of South Korea.
Another American, Justin Gimelstob, bowed out Tuesday, losing a first-round encounter to Frenchman Cyril Saulnier 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-1.
In women's play Tuesday, 16-year-old Russian Maria Sharapova, seeded fifth, advanced to the second round with a quick 6-2, 6-0 victory over South Korea's Kim Jin-Hee.
In other women's first-round action, defending champion Jill Craybas of the United States knocked off Japan's Saori Obata 6-4, 6-2, Japan's Yuka Yoshida beat Angelique Widjaja of Indonesia 6-4, 7-5, and fourth-seeded Shinobu Asagoe of Japan made quick work of China's Li Ting 6-1, 6-1.
Also advancing were third-seeded Katarina Srebotnik of Slovakia and eighth-seeded Swiss player Emmanuelle Gagliardi.
Bureau Report
The world no. 8, who received a first-round bye, had too many weapons for an overmatched Iwabuchi, ranked 238th.
"I got off to a good start and put him under pressure," said the 27-year-old Schuettler, who was the losing finalist at January's Australian Open. "He had to take some risks and that forced him to make some mistakes."
Eighth-seeded American Jan-Michael Gambill also advanced to the third round Tuesday at Tokyo's Ariake Colosseum when he got past Bohdan Ulihrach of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-4. Also winning second-round matches were sixth-seeded Nicolas Kiefer of Germany, a 7-5, 7-6 (7) winner over American Alex Bogomolov Jr., and seventh-seeded Lee Hyung-Taik of South Korea.
Another American, Justin Gimelstob, bowed out Tuesday, losing a first-round encounter to Frenchman Cyril Saulnier 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-1.
In women's play Tuesday, 16-year-old Russian Maria Sharapova, seeded fifth, advanced to the second round with a quick 6-2, 6-0 victory over South Korea's Kim Jin-Hee.
In other women's first-round action, defending champion Jill Craybas of the United States knocked off Japan's Saori Obata 6-4, 6-2, Japan's Yuka Yoshida beat Angelique Widjaja of Indonesia 6-4, 7-5, and fourth-seeded Shinobu Asagoe of Japan made quick work of China's Li Ting 6-1, 6-1.
Also advancing were third-seeded Katarina Srebotnik of Slovakia and eighth-seeded Swiss player Emmanuelle Gagliardi.
Bureau Report