Wed, Aug 19, 2009 page20

• Sharapova cruises on in Toronto

  • AFP
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  Former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova cruised into the second round of the WTA hardcourt tournament in Toronto on Monday with a straight-sets win over compatriot Nadia Petrova.

  The 22-year-old downed 10th seeded Petrova 6-3, 6-4, her third win over Petrova this season.

  It was another step forward for Sharapova, who had shoulder surgery last October, returned to singles competition in May and is now ranked 49th in the world.

  

  Lu Yen-hsun of Taiwan hits a forehand against Sam Querrey at the Cincinnati Masters at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, on Monday.

  PHOTO: AFP

  It was shortly after she won a marathon match in the second round of this event last year, when it was in Montreal, that Sharapova said she had re-injured her serving shoulder and would have to withdraw, launching her 10-month injury absence from the WTA Tour.

  In the second round she’ll face Austrian Sybille Bammer, a 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 winner over Russian Anna Chakvetadze.

  The top eight seeds, led by world No. 1 and defending ­champion Dinara Safina, enjoy first-round byes in the US$2 million US Open tuneup.

  Aravane Rezai booked a second-round clash with Safina with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over fellow Frenchwoman Alize Cornet.

  Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko set up a clash with Wimbledon runner-up Venus Williams — seeded third behind sister Serena — with a 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 victory over Belgian Yanina Wickmayer.

  Seeded French players Amelie Mauresmo and Marion Bartoli were both first-round casualties.

  Alona Bondarenko of Ukraine downed 13th-seeded Bartoli 6-4, 6-3, while Italian veteran Francesca Schiavone ousted 15th-seeded Mauresmo 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.

  ■WTA NAMES PRESIDENT

  AFP, ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA

  The WTA Tour Monday named Canadian David Shoemaker its new president.

  Shoemaker, 38, previously ser­ved as the chief operating officer of the women’s tennis tour, and in his role as president he succeeds Stacey Allaster, who was recently named to take over from Larry Scott as chairman and chief executive of the tour.

  Shoemaker is to continue his role overseeing the WTA Tour’s Asian operations, and will also be responsible for the overall day-to-day operations and business affairs of the circuit.

  As head of the Tour’s Asia-Pacific Operations, Shoemaker opened the Tour’s Beijing headquarters in July last year. He also helped negotiate the tour’s six-year, US$88 million sponsorship agreement with Sony Ericsson.

  ■CINCINNATI MASTERS
  

  AFP, CINCINNATI, OHIO

  Rafael Nadal is taking his demotion to world No. 3 in his stride and focusing on the long-term as he continues his comeback from injury at the Cincinnati Masters this week.

  “It’s only a number,” Nadal said Monday. “I hope to be ready in the future to come back to No. 2 or to be in the top position.

  “No. 3 is a very good number, too,” he added with a smile.

  The 23-year-old Spaniard, forced out of Wimbledon by his aching knees, returned last week in Montreal after an absence of more than two months.

  His run to the Canadian quarter-finals wasn’t enough to stop eventual champion Andy Murray from seizing the world No. 2 spot behind Switzerland’s Roger Federer.

  Nadal said he wouldn’t let the rankings — or anything else — lure him into pressing too hard, too soon, as he battles to come back and finish the season on a high note.

  “I need to go slow, no?” Nadal said, even if that means he won’t be at his best for the US Open that starts in a fortnight.

  “Sure, the US Open is very important,” Nadal said. “But after the US Open remains a lot of the season, and I would like to be ready to play a good end of the season.”

  For this week, at least, Nadal still has the No. 2 seed behind Federer, with defending champion Murray seeded third in the same half of the draw as Federer.

  The top eight all enjoy first-round byes, and ninth-seeded Frenchman Gilles Simon was the highest seed in action, posting a 6-3, 6-2 victory over American Wayne Odesnik.

  Simon was one of a trio of Frenchmen to advance on Monday. Jeremy Chardy upset 15th-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo 6-3, 7-5 and Paul-Henri Mathieu defeated Germany’s Mischa Zverev 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 6-3.

  Two other Frenchmen were less fortunate, Florent Serra falling to Croatian veteran Ivan Ljubic and Gael Monfils falling to Ljubic’s countryman Ivo Karlovic.

  Taiwan’s Lu Yen-hsun lost his match against Sam Querrey of the US 6-3, 6-4.

  Croatia’s Marin Cilic also advanced, downing former world No. 1 Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain 6-3, 6-4.

  ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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