Day Six: Tsonga and Haas Battle

Saturday was marked with retirements and walkovers. Qualifier Stefan Koubek retired against Fernando Verdasco. Twentieth-seed Mikhail Youzhny withdrew with a wrist injury that developed during his epic match with Richard Gasquet in the first round. The Russian's withdrawal gave Pole Lukasz Kubot a walkover.

In the States, everyone’s favorite tennis sportscasters hyped the Hewitt-Baghdatis match as the match of the century. With their delusional pronouncements last night, the viewer would have had the impression that Marcos Baghdatis had actually won a grand slam. The reality is Baghdatis has won four career titles, with no grand slams or masters titles among them. After all the hype, the match ended with a whimper with Lleyton Hewitt trouncing Baghdatis and the Cypriots’ subsequent withdrawal in the second set from the match. Assholes.

The rest of the seeded players progressed pretty easily in straight sets with Djokovic and Davydenko moving quickly and quietly through the draw. The match of the day was 10-seed Jo-Wilfred Tsonga versus 18-seed Tommy Haas.

The two players met once before in Halle last year with the German veteran winning that meeting on grass. Tsonga had an easy time progressing through the first rounds this week. Haas, on the other hand, had a much difficult road by drawing Janko Tipsarevic in the second round and getting caught in a five-set match with the Serb.

Tsonga and Haas started evenly with both players staying on serve. In the ninth game of the first set, Tsonga broke Haas and was able to win the opening set. The German returned the favor in the second set. In the third set, errors crept into the 18-seed’s game. Tsonga took advantage by breaking Haas twice and taking control of the match.

In the fourth and final set, the two players traded breaks and were even at 5-5. Haas had a sloppy game eleven, and 10-seed broke the veteran for the final time. The Frenchman held at love for the set and the match. After 2 hours and 28 minutes, Tsonga sealed the deal 6-4 3-6 6-1 7-5.

Tsonga will now meet 26-seed Nicolas Almagro in the round of 16. The two players have never met in ATP competition.

Saturday’s Results
Singles Third Round
1 Roger Federer (SUI) def. 31 Albert Montanes (ESP) 6-3 6-4 6-4
3 Novak Djokovic (SRB) def. Denis Istomin (UZB) 6-1 6-1 6-2
6 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) def. 30 Juan Monaco (ARG) 6-0 6-3 6-4
9 Fernando Verdasco (ESP) def Q Stefan Koubek (AUT) 6-1 ret. (illness)
10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) def. 18 Tommy Haas (GER) 6-4 3-6 6-1 7-5
Lukasz Kubot (POL) def. 20 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) walkover (right wrist)
22 Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) def. Marcos Baghdatis (CYP) 6-0 4-2 ret. (right shoulder)
26 Nicolas Almagro (ESP) def. Alejandro Falla (COL) 6-4 6-3 6-4

Doubles Second Round
3 L. Dlouhy (CZE)/L Paes (IND) def. L. Arnold Ker (ARG)/ H. Tecau (ROU) 7-5 6-3
M. Kohlmann (GER)/J. Nieminen (FIN) def. C. Fleming (GBR)/K. Skupski (GBR) 3-6 6-4 6-3
A. Clement (FRA)/J. Erlich (ISR) def. F. Lopez (ESP)/R. Schuettler (GER) 6-3 7-5
F. Gonzalez (CHI)/I. Ljubicic (CRO) def. C. Ball (AUS)/S. Huss (AUS) 5-7 7-6(3) 7-5
I. Karlovic (CRO)/D. Vemic (SRB) def. WC K. Hensel (AUS)/ G. Jones (AUS) 3-6 7-5 7-5
J. Isner (USA)/ S. Querrey (USA) def. J. Benneteau (FRA) /S. Darcis (BEL) 6-4 6-0
L. Mayer (ARG)/H. Zeballos (ARG) def. I. Andreev (RUS)/E. Korolev (KAZ) 6-3 6-2

Sunday’s Matches
Singles Round of 16
2 Rafael Nadal (ESP) vs. Ivo Karlovic (CRO)
4 Juan Martin del Potro (ARG) vs. 14 Marin Cilic (CRO)
5 Andy Murray (GBR) vs. John Isner (USA)
7 Andy Roddick (USA) vs. 11 Fernando Gonzalez (CHI)

Doubles Third Round
1 B. Bryan (USA)/M. Bryan (USA) vs. 17 J. Melzer (AUT)/P. Petzschner (GER)
2 D. Nestor (CAN)/N. Zimonjic (SRB) vs. P. Marx (GER)/I. Zelenay (SVK)
J. Brunstrom (SWE)/J.J. Rojer (AHO) vs. Arnaud Clement (FRA)/J. Erlich (ISR)

Sunday’s Order of Play

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(Images: AFP/Getty Images /Paul Crock)