Murray Believes Davis Cup Captaincy Should be Decided by Players

Participating in the BNP Paribas Open this week in California, world No. 4 Andy Murray addressed the current Davis Cup woes that the LTA is encountering.

Murray told reporters that in the event that current Davis Cup captain John Lloyd is fired, the players of Great Britain should have a hand in choosing the next captain.

“It’s a difficult one because John won four or five in a row at the start and got us into the World Group with Tim [Henman] coming back, Greg playing, my brother [Jamie] playing good doubles at time and I was playing well — we had a good team,” said Murray at Indian Wells. “It’s the LTA’s decision if they keep him in place but if John does lose his job, the players should have  a strong say in who they think the captain should be and then go to the LTA and say this is who we would like.

“If they don’t want him at least we have voiced our opinion. Then the LTA will have an idea of who we want and come to a decision based on that.  It’s very important that the players are comfortable with who captain is, especially after we lost to Lithuania and how brutal the press has been.  But I’m not going to start throwing names out there.”

Murray also struck out at those who have been criticizing British tennis as a whole. A number of analysts have called for a reorganization of the LTA and other have suggested that heads should roll after Britain lost its fifth consecutive tie.

“Everyone is disappointed,” Murray  said. “It wasn’t one of British tennis’ best days, but we are at a pretty low point and I’m fed up [with] reading negative stuff all the time and constant bashing. They’re needs to be more constructive things with what we need to do to improve as a nation.

“Every time I read something, it’s build more courts and gets more kids too play. I agree, but how are we going to teach them how to play?…We need to have a way of teaching the tennis the same way [like Spain does] and the kids need to learn to play the game properly and they don’t. Everyone has to teach the same way.”

Murray faces Andreas Seppi on Sunday in Palm Springs.

Quotes courtesy of tennis.com, and Matt Cronin.

Preview for BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, California

The season’s first Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells, CA will bring forward a few compelling storylines.

Gone are the lonely days of February, where many matches and tournaments were played and won—none of which will really be remembered. The tennis season officially bursts into gear this week in Palm Springs, ushering in seven months of block-buster and meaningful tennis. The meat and potatoes of the season which occupies March through September—Indian Wells through the end of the US Open—remains the pulse, points, and prize money for the game’s best.

A few missing soldiers, who have been absent from action for quite sometime will be the featured attractions at the Tennis Garden in Indian Wells. None other than Roger Federer, who has been sidelined with a lung infection and resting after his Australian Open win will lead the field. Rafael Nadal, who has been busy recovering from a series of persistent knee ailments will bring his vigor and tenacity to Palm Springs, and finally the Masters 1000 man himself, Andy Murray, who thrives in the best of three set format, will be making his first appearance since his brief and controversial stint in Dubai.

I’d be surprised to see nothing short of a Davis Cup hangover for the top players. Although the season has just begun, the back and forth grind through Europe and the United States could very well be a telling factor in this week’s results.

Nevertheless, we have a big tournament to cover here, and yours truly will be on site for the beginning of the festivities. I’m anxiously anticipating the “Hit for Haiti 2″ event, but there could very well be some cause for concern regarding the main draw.

Let’s now take a look at the top four seeds, and their respective quarters.

Federer’s Quarter:

Funny isn’t it, Federer is still the man to beat in men’s tennis, yet he hasn’t played a competitive match since January. The ultra fluid Swiss, who is a three-time champion at the event, remains in harm’s way of a recent lung infection and undetermined form. One can never really bet against Federer, but considering his nonchalant approach to his post-Australian schedule, you’d have to think that something could go wrong for Federer and fast.

Federer is slated to face “life’s a party” Marcos Baghdatis in the third-round, with crafty slicer and dicer Radek Stepanek in the round-of-16. Although Federer would be favored against both foes, both players have the weaponry to cause chaos for the top seed. Baghdatis in particular could give Federer something to think about considering his recent run of good form.

Other potential semifinal candidates in this section could include: Gael Monfils, Richard Gasquet and Andy Roddick. The French contingent may find it difficult to make head-ways in the desert considering their Davis Cup heroics over the weekend. Roddick, who has been resting an injured shoulder injury, has been hard at work with California resident Larry Stefanki finetuning his hard-court game. Roddick has yet to win a title in Indian Wells, but could put forth the required effort to complete his quintet of Masters 1000 events on hard-courts.

We’re all aware of Roddick’s dismal record against Federer lifetime—and trust me, it hurts Andy more than anything—but what we must also remember about the veteran American is that his attitude, and blue-colored self-belief, will always resinate through each and every event that he plays.

I know what you’re thinking: Two wins in 21 tries doesn’t leave much in the way for Roddick to prevail in this section. But when taking into account Federer’s inactivity since Melbourne, coupled with Roddick’s recent rest and practice in Palm Springs, a strong claim for an upset could be in order.

Pick: Roddick

Djokovic Quarter:

Entering his first big event with the No. 2 ranking, Djokovic will have the expectation of a deep run plastered on the back of his new Sergio Tacchini attire.

Capturing the title in 2008, Djokovic helped propel his boisterous Davis Cup team into the quarterfinals last weekend, while defending the first title of his career the week before in Dubai.

Considering his recent wear and tear, I’d normally be reluctant to pick Djokovic in reaching the latter stages of the event. But when analyzing his section of the draw, the word “cupcakeish” screams out like the Serb’s players’ box. With no one in sight to challenge Djokovic until the quarterfinals, I’d leave the task of an upset to either No. 11 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero or Tour trailblazer Marin Cilic.

Ferrero had an incredible month in February, which included winning two titles, and recording a 14-1 record. The veteran Spaniard will be eager to prove his mettle on hard-courts, while making tennis fans respect his recent success on clay. Cilic on the other hand has performed well on hard-courts this season—winning two titles and making the final four in Australia. Cilic remains the clear favorite for break out player of the year, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if he made Indian Wells the grounds for his biggest title to date.

Trailing Djokovic 4-0 in career meetings, Cilic appears to be on the cusp of figuring out his Serbian nemesis.

Djokovic, to me anyway, will need some time to recover from his marathon win over John Isner in DC action, while continuing his acquaintance with the No. 2 spot. The aforementioned recipe could very result in an upset of the vibrant Serbian—or Cilic’s skill-set could simply be too good for the rest of the field.

At any rate…

Pick: Cilic

Nadal Quarter:

What up, Rafa? Out of action for nearly six weeks, the defending champion will receive a resonating welcome to the Tennis Garden when he makes his return to his den this weekend. Keeping himself busy with a Gypsy, and a recovering knee, Nadal’s level of play and result in California is honestly unknown. Having a workable opening few rounds, Nadal will begin his title defense with two qualifiers and unheralded Frenchman Julien Benneteau in the third-round.

Nadal’s concerns could heighten in the quarterfinals with a collision course with the future of American tennis. Both Isner and Sam Querrey, who made the US proud over the weekend with their diligent Davis Cup performances, could face Nadal in the final eight. At this point, I’d say that either Isner or Querrey could upset Nadal, with both youngsters utilizing their commanding serve and forehand combinations to power through the 2010 season. Querrey’s game is slightly better suited to the Palm Springs desert, while Isner has proven that his size and heart have no boundaries.

If Nadal can squeeze past his super-sized American foes, either Nikolay Davydenko, or Fernando Verdasco would be his likely quarterfinal opponents.

Davydenko is far from his best form, and could very well withdraw before he strikes a single forehand. Verdasco, a quarterfinalist last year, will be coming in off of an injured back, while adamantly tweaking his new Yonex stick. To me, Isner and Querrey remain Nadal’s greatest adversaries in his quarter.

Nadal, if anything, has always provided his legion of fans with the courage and intensity that has allowed him to become one of the most prolific tennis players in the modern era. He will need every last bit of his mojo if he is to preserve through the traitorous field in Indian Wells this year.

You’d be hard pressed to find a single player or fan (love him or hate him) that won’t admit that a draw with Nadal’s name present makes for better theatre.

It is for that reason of the greater good that Nadal should reach at least his fifth final four in Indian Wells.

Pick: Nadal

Murray Quarter:

Falling apart and putting it back together has always been Murray’s method of operation. Just when we think the steady Scot is playing too defensive for our liking, a curving forehand winner around the umpire and his water bottle snaps off of his racket. By contrast, just when we feel that Murray is ready to make that defining push to greater pastures and triumph in a Major championship, we’re left with the words, “I can cry like Roger, it’s too bad I can’t play like him.”

Well, here’s the good news for Murray and his Union Jack crew of supporters: The world No. 4 relishes the opportunity to shine in a best of three set format, and he’s proven on countless occasions that he can succeed.

Beginning with a relatively easy draw, Murray could face his first real challenge against either Ivo Karlovic or David Ferrer in the quarterfinals. Neither player will likely defeat Murray, but both players could very test the defending finalist and take a set.

The bottom half of Murray’s quarter consists of “slug-em ’til you drop” Robin Soderling and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Again, both Soderling and Tsonga have shown their skills throughout the past year; both will be coming into Indian Wells tired and slightly injured.

I’d certainly be shocked to see Murray go down before the semifinals, and moreover, I’d be surprised if he doesn’t capture his first Masters 1000 title in the California.

Pick: Murray

Semifinals: Roddick vs. Murray; Nadal vs. Cilic

Finals: Murray vs. Cilic

Champion: Murray

Talk soon, everyone.

Murray Defends Dubai Comments

World No. 4 Andy Murray was made to defend his recent Dubai comments after losing in the second-round to Serb Janko Tipsarevic.

The Scot made referrence to the statue of the event, and his lack of commit to winning.

“The stuff that I was doing in the matches here are similar to what I’d be doing if I was training this week. I’d be playing practice sets and working on serve?and?volley and coming forward, you know and taking more risks,” said Murray after the match. ”I would have liked to have won, but it’s not the end of the world

“If it was a Slam or something, my tactics and my game style would have been a bit different.”

The director of the tournament, Colm McLoughlin, suggested that Murray’s remarks could very well hurt the state of the men’s Tour.

“We are not disputing Andy’s effort but the comment he made after the match have caused concern. Many fans have come up to us and said that he seemed to have indicated Dubai was simply a warm up tournament.”

After speaking with Murray’s management team, McLouglin later clarified that Murray was in fact giving his best effort during the U.A.E. event.

“We’ve all read the after-match comments Andy made to the media and Andy’s management company is saying these were taken out of context.

“He has always been very direct with the press and there is no question [being asked] that he did not give all his efforts in the match against Janko Tipsarevic… Andy tried his best and anyone who watched the match can vouch for that.

“We look forward to welcoming Andy back at the Championships next year.”

Murray will next see action at the Indian Wells event in California. The Scot reached the finals last year, losing in windy conditions to Rafael Nadal.

Quotes courtesy of tennis.com.

Murray Loses in Dubai Second Round

World No. 4 Andy Murray was ousted from the second-round of the Barclays Dubai Tennis Tournament on Wednesday by Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, 7-6(3), 4-6, 6-4.

Saving a match-point at 5-3, 40-30, Murray would later falter during Tipsarevic’s second match-point when his unseeded opponent struck an overhead winner.

Falling to the ground in utter disbelief after his two hour and 30 minute victory, Tipsarevic evened his head-to-head with Murray at three wins a piece.

With both players striking 13 aces, the sold-out crowd at the Aviation Club were treated to a dazzling array of two-handed backhands by both players.

Visibly disgusted with his on-court performance, Murray was often seen muttering to himself between points and on the changeovers.

Falling to 7-2 on the season, Murray was playing in his first event since losing in the finals of the Australian Open to Roger Federer.

Tipsarevic, who improved to 6-4 on the year, will next face Mikhail Youzhny in the quarterfinals on Thursday.

Day 3 Review: Davydenko Loses in Dubai; Almagro Continues Title Run in Acapulco; Fish Remains on Course in Delray Beach

Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships—U.A.E.

German Michael Berrer was handed the biggest win of his career in Dubai on Wednesday when No. 4 seed Nikolay Davydenko was forced to withdraw from the pair’s second-round encounter after trailing 6-3.

Davydenko, who suffered a left-wrist injury in Rotterdam earlier this month, continued to show the ill effects of his wrist ailment.

Losing his serve in the fourth game of the first set, Davydenko dumped a backhand volley into the net to trail 3-1.

Remaining occupied with his injury and not the match on court, Davydenko shook Berrer’s hand after the end of the first set.

The Russian spoke with tennistv.com on the status of his injury after his retirement.

“It’s a problem already from the tournament in Rotterdam,” said Davydenko. “For four days I can’t touch anything (after his semifinal loss in The Netherlands).”

“I hope for Davis Cup I be fit.”

To Berrer’s credit, the 29-year-old veteran has enjoyed his best year to date on Tour. Reaching the finals in Zagreb, Crotia (l. Marin Cilic), Berrer also won a Challenger level event in Germany, while making the quarterfinals in Chennai, India (l. Stanislas Wawrinka).

Improving to 10-4 on the year, Berrer picked up his first win against Davydenko after losing the previous two meetings.

The 220 lbs German told tennistv.com that he had mixed emotions after receiving the retirement win.

“This is the second top 10 guy to retire against me, and it’s a little bit disappointing because I’m playing well and I had a chance to beat a top 10 guy,” confessed Berrer.

Up until Davydenko’s retirement, Berrer was executing his game-plan to perfection. Avoiding baseline exchanges at all costs, the German used his one-handed backhand to close in on the net while finishing the points with clean struck volleys.

Berrer’s victory will lead him to a quarterfinal showdown with Marcos Baghdatis. The Cypriot defeated talented Indian Somdev Devarrman 6-3, 3-6, 6-1.

Earlier in the day at the Aviation Club, No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic dismissed countryman Viktor Troicki 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Capturing two breaks of serve in the first set, Troicki won 80 percent of his first serve points while striking 4 aces. By contrast, Djokovic won a mere 50 percent of his first serve points while hitting two double faults.

Continuing to play with pressure in opening stages of the second set, Djokovic increased his points won on first serves to 93 percent, while converting on his lone break of serve during the eighth game.

Evening the match at one set a piece, Djokovic comfortably rolled through the third set on the strength of two breaks of serve.

Djokovic told reporters that he was fortunate to defeat his good friend.

“I wasn’t happy with the performance overall today,” admitted Djokovic. ”But I won, that’s what matters. He was a better player for a set and a half. I think this is one of the rare tournaments that you really feel [a] big, big difference between the day match and night match. The balls go really much faster, and as soon as the shade came on the court, I felt more control over my game. So in the end, I managed to win.”

Djokovic will next face the winner of the day’s last match between No. 5 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and unseeded Croatian Ivan Ljubicic.

Elsewhere, Marin Cilic improved to 17-1 on the season after defeating 33-year-old Stefan Koubek 6-2, 7-6 (8); Mikhail Youzhny kept his momentum of yesterday’s epic win over Luckas Lacko in check by dismissing Bjorn Phau 7-6 (2), 6-4, and Jurgen Melzer sliced with way into the quarterfinals with a win over Spaniard Tommy Robredo 6-3, 7-5.

No. 3 seed Andy Murray will face Janko Tipsarevic first up during the night session.

Abierto Mexicano Telcel—Acapulco, Mexico

Wednesday’s action in Acapulco will feature the top four seeds vying for a quarterfinal spot.

After battling through Italian Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 on Tuesday, top seed Fernando Verdasco will battle Polish up-and-comer Lukasz Kubot for a spot in the final eight.

Never facing Kubot on the ATP World Tour, Verdasco could very well have a difficult time with the current world No. 48.

Kubot has enjoyed a glorious run of form in the last year, making two Tour finals, while advancing to the fourth-round of the Australian Open.

Kubot is also coming into Mexico off of three weeks of clay-court tennis—reaching the finals in Brazil, while winning a round in Santiago.

Verdasco on the other hand is participating in his first action on the red dirt this season.

Fresh off of a third-set tiebreak win over Sam Querrey on Tuesday evening, No. 2 seed Fernando Gonzalez will face Victor Hanescu for a place in the quarterfinals.

Leading Hanescu 2-0 in career head-to-head meetings, Gonzalez previously defeated the tall Romainian at Roland Garros in 2009.

Davis Cup teammates David Ferrer and Juan Carlos Ferrero will take the court on day three against Thomaz Bellucci and Igor Andreev, respectively.

Ferrer will have his hands full with recent Santiago, Chile winner Bellucci, while Ferrero, who remains the hottest player on the circuit with 11 straight wins, will face tough Russian Igor Andreev.

Ferrero is bidding to capture his third straight Tour title this week in Acapulco.

Two-time defending champ Nicolas Almagro will face talented Frenchman Richard Gasquet; Juan Ignacio Chela will be up against No. 7 seed Juan Monaco; No. 8 seed Albert Montanes takes on Pablo Cuevas, and Simon Greul battles stalky Argentine Eduardo Schwank.

Delray Beach International Tennis Championships—Florida

Defending champion Mardy Fish will take his ailing knee into a second-round contest with German Mischa Zverev on Wednesday.

Fish, who injured his right knee during the offseason, defeated Belgium Christophe Rochus on Tuesday evening after the 31-year-old retired with a back injury.

Never facing Zverev in Tour action, Fish will desperately attempt to reach in quarterfinals in order to prevent his ranking from taking a hit.

Elsewhere, No. 4 seed Jeremy Chardy will take on Santiago Giraldo; Leonardo Mayer will face No. 6 seed Florian Mayer, and Teimuraz Gabasvili will battle Ernests Gulbis.

American James Blake, who made the finals in 2008, will resume his match with countryman Taylor Dent after rain suspended the match at 5-3 Blake leading in the third set.

Blake is currently ranked No. 50 in the world, the lowest ranking he’s held since 2005.

For up to the second coverage of today’s matches from the three events, click the TennisConnected live-score link at the top menu. The Tourney Tracker will also provide you with similar information. Talk soon.

Quotes courtesy of atpworldtour.com.

Djokovic and Murray Fight Jitters to Reach Dubai Second Round

No. 2 seed Novak Djokovic, and No. 3 seed Andy Murray began their Dubai campaigns’ with straight-set wins on Monday, defeating Guillermo Garcia-Lopez and Igor Kunitsyn, respectively.

Djokovic began the night session by defeating Garcia-Lopez 6-4, 6-4, but not before squandering a 5-0 lead in the second set.

“It was not pleasant coming from 5-Love to 5-4 and him serving to get back into the match, but it was all my fault. I think I lost focus,” Djokovic said. “It’s the first match outdoors since Australia, so still getting used to the conditions.

Aiming to defend the first title of his career, the 23-year-old admitted that it would be a difficult week.

“It’s a success that I am still trying to achieve, to defend my title,” Djokovic said. “I haven’t done it in my career so I am really hoping that it’s going to be this week.”

Djokovic will next face Davis Cup teammate Viktor Troicki in second-round action. Troicki defeated Rainer Schuettler 6-3, 6-4.

Playing in his first professional match since losing to Roger Federer in the finals of the Australian Open, Murray survived a 25-minute second game to oust Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-3. The epic second game of the match featured nine break points for Murray.

Although Murray’s scoreline was routine, he lost his serve on one occasion, and won only 43 percent of his second serve points.

The Scot will next face either Janko Tipsarevic or Andreas Seppi in second-round action.

Quotes courtesy of the Associated Press.

Tournament Previews and Day 1 Review for Dubai, Acapulco, and Delray Beach

The last week of February will bring with it the two ATP World Tour 500 level events as well as one 250 point tournament.

Marquee events in Dubai, Acapulco and Delray Beach have attracted five top 10 players in total. Unfortunately for the Acapulco and Delray Beach events, a majority of the world’s best players will in Dubai this week, participating in the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships.

Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who entered Dubai’s entry list at No. 10 in the world, has fallen to the No. 11 spot this week after failing to defend his Marsielle title last week.

By contrast, Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, who lost in the first-round of Memphis last week, gained one position in the rankings and leads the Acapulco field at No. 10 in the world. Verdasco entered the Mexican tournament with an entry system ranking of No. 11.

The Dubai event was hit with a major blow over the weekend when four-time champion and world No. 1 Roger Federer was forced to withdraw on the eve of the tournament with a lung infection. Federer contracted the lung infection last week and will be sidelined for the next two weeks.

Federer’s absence in the event leaves defending champion and world No. 2 Novak Djokovic as the tournament’s top seed. Djokovic will face Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the first round. Djokovic will be joined by No. 3 seed Andy Murray, No. 4 seed Nikolay Davydenko, No. 5 seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and No. 6 seed Marin Cilic.

The winner of 32-man draw will take home $383,000 and 500 ATP World Tour points.

The week’s second 500 series event will take place in the beautiful oasis of Acapulco, Mexico.

The 32-man field will be led by Spaniard Verdasco, who will be bidding for his second title of the year after capturing his first title in San Jose, California earlier this month. Verdasco is currently adjusting to a new Yonex frame, and may have a shaking result this week.

Verdasco will be joined by No. 2 seed Fernando Gonzalez, No. 3 seed David Ferrer, No. 4 seed Juan Carlos Ferrero, No. 5 seed John Isner, and No. 6 seed Nicolas Almagro. Almagro, who is the two-time defending champion of the event, could drop to the low 50’s in next week’s rankings if he is ousted early. Almagro is currently ranked No. 27 in the world.

Recent Memphis champion Querrey, and finalist Isner will use this week’s action in Acapulco to better prepare for their first-round Davis Cup tie in Serbia in early March. The tie in Serbia will be contested on clay-courts.

Other notables in the draw will include recent Santiago champion Thomaz Bellucci, and two-time winner Carlos Moya. Moya will take the court on Monday in the event’s most high-profile first-round encounter against Frenchman Richard Gasquet.

The week’s champion in Acapulco will receive $227,000.

The week’s final event will take place on American soil in Delray Beach, Florida.

Remaining a staple event on the ATP World Tour since 1993, the Delray Beach International Tennis Championships will feature a 32-man field fighting for 250 ATP World Tour points.

Former champion Tommy Haas will highlight the draw this year, followed by No. 2 seed Ivo Karlovic, No. 3 seed Benjamin Becker, and No. 4 seed Jeremy Chardy.

Defending champion Mardy Fish has been struggling with a knee injury all season, and will have a tough task in repeating. Fish faces Christophe Rochus in first-round action.

Other notables in the draw will include 2008 champion Kei Nishikori, and recent Memphis semifinalist Ernests Gulbis. Nishikori will contest his first event in 2010, while Gulbis will be adamant on continuing his fine form from Memphis. Nishikori had been sidelined from the Tour with a right elbow injury, while Gublis won three consecutive matches for the first time in Memphis, since his quarterfinal run at the Cincinnati Masters in 2008.

The first prize winner in Delray Beach will receive $75,700.

Let’s now take a look at Monday’s first-round action and upcoming matches.

Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships—U.A.E.

Monday’s first-round action in Dubai will feature the tournament’s top two seeds on center court. Highlighting the night session, defending champion Novak Djokovic will begin his attempt at defending the first tournament of his career against Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.

Leading Garcia-Lopez 2-0 in career head-to-head meetings, Djokovic has never played the Spaniard on hard-courts.

Playing in his third tournament of the season, Djokovic arrives in Dubai with a 6-2 match record on the year.

Following the Serb on center court at the Aviation Club will be current world No. 4 and tournament No. 3 seed Andy Murray.

Having never played his opponent Igor Kunitysn in Tour action, Murray will be appearing in his first tournament since losing in straight sets to Roger Federer in the finals of the Australian Open.

Opting to play a more economical schedule in order to conserve his energy for the bigger tournaments, Murray will begin an important month of tennis which will include defending finals points in Indian Wells, and champion points in Miami.

Murray remains the top seed in the top half of the draw after Roger Federer was forced to withdraw with a lung infection.

Elsewhere, Marcos Baghdatis continued his impressive year on Tour by handing No. 8 seed Gilles Simon his second straight loss on the circuit by a scoreline of 7-6 (3), 6-4.

Returning from a knee injury which he sustained at the US Open last year, Simon was far from his best during the one hour and 42 minute contest.

Losing serve on three occasions, Simon won 42 percent of his second serve points, and a mere 18 percent of the points when returning Baghdatis’ first serve.

By contrast, Baghdatis won 85 percent of his first serve points while pounding 14 aces. Marching onto his 11th win of the season, Baghdatis will next face Marco Chiudinelli or Somdev Devvarman in second-round action.

Austrian Jurgen Melzer handed Simone Bolelli his sixth-straight loss on Tour by defeating the Italian 6-1, 7-5. Hitting 11 aces, Melzer won 88 percent of his first serve points while breaking serve on five occasions.

Melzer will next face either Tommy Robredo or Julien Bennteau in second-round action. Robredo took Federer’s place in the draw.

Viktor Troicki advanced to the second-round with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 win over Rainer Schuettler; Stefan Koubek picked up an impressive and much needed win over Feliciano Lopez 7-6 (4), 6-4, and Ivan Ljubicic ousted Jan Hernych 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-4.

Troicki will next face the winner of the Djokovic and Garcia-Lopez match in round two; Koubek will face either Arnaud Clement of Marin Cilic, and Ljubicic will battle the winner of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga or Michael Llodra.

Abierto Mexicano Telcel—Acapulco, Mexico

A light day of action on Monday in Mexico will be highlighted by former two-time champion Carlos Moya vs. Richard Gasquet.

Having played on three occasions, Moya remains a perfect 3-0 against the Frenchman.

Not having played for two seasons, Moya has seen his ranking plummet due to a series of hip and foot injuries. Currently ranked No. 439 in the world, Moya will play his first 11 tournaments of this year under a protective ranking of No. 52.

Gasquet, who remains adamant on building up his game in time for Roland Garros, has opted to skip the mini hard-court swing to sharpen his skills on the clay.

Holding a 6-4 record on the season, Gasquet lost in the first-round of Argentina last week to Juan Ignacio Chela. Moya lost in the second-round of Argentina to Horacio Zeballos.

Elsewhere, Mexican favorite Santiago Gonzalez will face tough Argentine Eduardo Schwank, while Thomaz Bellucci will battle Oscar Hernandez.

Bellucci could become a factor during the clay-court season if he can remain in his current state of confidence. The 22-year-old Sao Paulo resident recently won the Santiago, Chile title for his second career title.

Delray Beach International Tennis Championships—Florida

Monday’s action in Delray Beach will also follow a light day of opening action.

Top seed and 2006 winner Tommy Haas will take a 7-3 lifetime record at Delray Beach event against Russian Teimuraz Gabashvili.

Leading Gabashvili 1-0 in career head-to-head meetings, Haas will begin his journey in what he hopes will be the 13th title of his 15-year-career.

Recently acquiring US citizenship, Haas has lived in Florida since his junior career.

Other matches that will contested on Monday will feature:

Nicolas Lapentti vs. No. 5 seed and defending finalist Evgeny Korolev, and Rajeev Ram vs. Wayne Odesnik.

Korolev lost a straight-set final to American Mardy Fish last year.

Fish is back to defend his title as an unseeded player this year.

Murray’s Marseille Withdrawal Causes Controversy

Andy Murray’s late withdrawal from this week Open 13 ATP World Tour event in Marseille, France has caused an uproar with tournament officials.

Apparently the Scot had confirmed his participation in the event up until mid last week, while forcing tournament director Jean-Francois Caujolle to accommodate his multiple needs.

“Murray did the same thing to me last year,” the Daily Express quoted Caujolle saying on Monday, “He can’t know what it is to keep his word. A week ago, he asked me for a wild card to play doubles with his brother Jamie and I gave him one. A few days ago, he asked me for five hotel rooms and I gave him them.

“The No. 1 seed of a tournament should have a sense of responsibility. If he does not respect his commitments, he should be suspended by the ATP.”

Murray’s reasoning for not participating in the French event was to gain extra rest ahead of next month’s Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and Miami—tournaments which he made the finals and won, respectively.

“There is a responsibility for the credibility of all the game when it’s a top player. Sometimes you have to force yourself and be responsible. I understand he’s quite young and it’s not a huge tournament but it’s quite disappointing and we had the same last year.”

Caujolle went onto suggest that Murray’s withdrawal did not allow him enough time to find a suitable replacement.

“One week before, to phone and say, ‘I am not coming’ would have been good. In that case, I could have found another player, made an offer to Marin Cilic or someone, but it was too late. A few minutes later, Juan Martin Del Potro pulled out with a real injury so I lost my top two players.”

The ATP World Tour issued a statement stating that ” [Murray] followed the procedures for withdrawal and did not break any rules.”

Caujolle later told Sky Sports that “I never said that he should be suspended, but it’s true I was really disappointed because he was my top player.

“One week before, to phone and say, ‘I am not coming’ would have been good. In that case, I could have found another player, made an offer to Marin Cilic or someone, but it was too late. A few minutes later, Juan Martin Del Potro pulled out with a real injury so I lost my top two players,” said Caujolle.

Murray remains entered in next week’s Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, before heading to the United States to participate in the Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells.

Quotes courtesy of tennis.com.

Del Potro, Murray out of Marseille

Reigning US Open champion, Juan Martin del Potro, and recent Australian Open finalist, Andy Murray have pulled out of next week’s Tour event in Marseille.

Murray has opted to continue to rest after his draining run in Australia, while del Potro continues to battle a wrist injury.

The 32-man in Marseille will feature home-country hero Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who continues to recover from a strained abdominal muscle.

The Open 13 will take place from February 15-22, 2010.

Murray and Del Potro lead Marseille Field

Recent Australian Open finalist Andy Murray, and reigning US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro will head the field at the upcoming Open 13 in Marseille, France.

The blockbuster 32-man field will also include: Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Robin Soderling, Gael Monfils and Gilles Simon.

The Open 13 will take place between Feb. 15-21, 2010.

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