It was busy Day Two at the 2002 Franklin Templeton Men's Tennis Classic as the first round drew to a
close. The top four seeds were all in action, but not all of them would survive the day. Upon entering the
tournament grounds at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, the first upset of the day was already underway.
The #4 seed, Guillermo Canas, had dropped the first set to Switzerland's Michael Kratochvil but came back
to win the second. Kratochvil earned a late break in the third set to win the match, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 in 2 hours
and 5 minutes. The 23-year old Swiss meets Juan Balcells in a second round match scheduled for
Wednesday.
So, onto today's featured matches and a long day of tennis!
Robby Ginepri (Q) vs. Juan Ignacio Chela (First Round)
First Meeting
A few weeks ago, we received an email from one our readers asking about Robby Ginepri. I was only
aware that Ginepri was a young American somewhere out there on the horizon, but knew little else about
him. My curiosity was piqued and I decided to check out the match. So, dear readers, please continue to
write in, we are happy to look into players that you are interested in! In my prior research, I discovered that
Ginepri already has a following on the Internet -
a Yahoo club devoted to all things Robby!
For the Genepri-unitiated, the 19-year American is coming off a successful career in the juniors. In 1999,
he was the top ranked player in the USTA Boys' 16s and #3 in Boy's 18s. On the main ATP Tour, he ended
2000 ranked #1247 (the same year he reached the US Open Juniors final, losing to Andy Roddick),
improved to #207 in 2001, and currently stands at #151. Ginepri qualified for the Franklin Templeton with
wins over Farrukh Dustov and Ignacio Hirigoyen. Prior to today's match, Ginepri was still looking for his
first main draw victory of the year. His best 2002 result was a semifinal showing at the Waikoloa, Hawaii
Challenger in January.
Ginepri's opponent today is also a player on the rise - or a "re-rise" as the case may be. Juan Igancio Chela
of Argentina had a breakthrough year on the ATP Tour in 2000, but became more infamous in 2001 when
he was handed a three-month suspension for doping. Chela claimed he did not know he had taken the
banned substance. Upon returning to the Tour, Chela won six Challenger tournaments and finished the
year ranked #71. Chela's good results have continued this year with a finalist showing in Sydney and the
semis at both Buenos Aires and Acapulco. He is currently ranked at a career-high #41.
In front of a fairly sparse crowd, the first set flew by. The first eight games of the match, including
changeovers, took only 22 minutes to complete. Both players held serve, but the games were not as easily
won as the lightning speed suggested. A couple things I did notice early on were Chela's ball toss, which
seemed more like a like a little roll above his 6'3" frame, and Ginepri's willingness to come into the net.
Ginepri's serve was challenged in the ninth game of the set where he seemed to get very frustrated by two
close line calls. Chela was unable to convert on two break chances in this game and Ginepri held for 5-4.
Ginepri's first chances to break Chela's serve occurred in the twelfth game of the set. Ginepri was not shy
about stepping well inside the baseline to take the Chela second serve early. Ginepri took one of these
second serves, followed it into the net and smashed a weak Chela reply to take the first set 7-5 in 37
minutes.
Chela's service problems continued in the second set with Ginepri breaking the Argentine's serve for an
early lead at 2-0. But the lead was short-lived as a Ginepri backhand landed in the net to give Chela the
break back for 2-1. Both players had break chances in the middle of the set, but held on for the first OTL
tiebreak of the day!
G: A Ginepri forehand clips the netcord and bounces back to his side of the court, Chela 1-0.
C: 115-mph ace down the T for Chela, Chela 2-0.
C: Ginepri smashes, Chela's reply is low and short, Ginepri hits a half-volley forehand drop shot winner,
Chela 2-1.
G: Chela hits a forehand deep into the corner, Ginepri's forehand reply lands in the net, Chela 3-1.
G: 99-mph well-placed ace for Ginepri, Chela, 3-2.
C: Ginepri forehand service return goes long, Chela, 4-2.
C: Double-fault for Chela, Chela, 4-3.
G: Chela forehand unforced error into the net, 4-4.
G: Ginepri forehand winner, 15th shot of a rally, Ginepri, 5-4.
C: Ginepri unforced error into the net, 10th shot of a rally, 5-5.
C: Double-fault for Chela, Ginepri 6-5.
G: Double-fault for Ginepri on match point, 6-6.
G: Chela hits a deep forehand, Ginepri's forehand reply lands in the net, Chela 7-6.
C: Ginepri's forehand service return lands in the net, Chela 8-6.
Needless to say, Ginepri was not the happiest person at the Scottsdale Princess at the close of the second
set. Ginepri's demeanor did not improve as the young American was broken in the fifth game of the final
set. However, a Chela double-fault set up the break point and Ginepri was able to get the set back on serve.
As with the entire match thus far, the third was a tightly contested affair. The 19-year-old's inexperience
showed in the ninth game. At 4-4 on Chela's serve, Ginepri had six break chances but was unable to
convert. Three untimely forehand errors in the next game were Ginepri's undoing - giving Chela the break
and the match 5-7, 7-6, 6-4 in just over two hours. Ginepri slammed his racquet into his bag in frustration,
having had his chances to notch the best win in his young career. I admired his fighting spirit. Ginepri is
certainly yet another name to add into the American mix of young players to keep an eye out for over the
next few years.
Chela meets the #5 seed, Alex Corretja, in the second round tomorrow.
Andre Agassi (#1) vs. Francisco Clavet (First Round)
Head to Head: Agassi leads series 3-2 (Last Meeting: 2001 Scottsdale, 1R, Clavet 6-1, 6-7, 7-5)
Statistically today's third stadium day match was improbable as they come. For a third consecutive year,
Andre Agassi met Francisco Clavet in an early round match here in Scottsdale. Even more surprisingly,
Clavet defeated Agassi in both matches (Agassi did win yet another meeting here back in 1992). Clavet
thought it was a joke when fellow Spaniard, Albert Portas, informed him of his first round opponent.
Clavet, the defending Franklin Templeton champion, came into the match with low expectations as an
ankle injury suffered in Acapulco had the Spaniard unable to walk two days ago.
Agassi, a finalist last week in San Jose, tested Clavet's ankle early on moving him from side-to-side. Clavet
is perhaps one of the most entertaining players to listen to during a match as he often lets out a grunt prior
to being stretched out by an opponent. Agassi broke Clavet's serve twice in the middle of the first set and
raced out to a 5-1 lead. The highly defensive Clavet earned back one of the breaks in the seventh game
when an Agassi forehand sailed long after a long rally. The players held for the remainder of the set, thus
giving Agassi a 6-3 first set in 31 minutes.
The "A-Train" went on a tear to open the second set. Agassi won the first 11 points of the set and broke
Clavet's serve twice for a 3-0 lead. Agassi played immaculately during this stretch - hitting the ball crisply
and serving well (including a 118-mph ace). Both players remained on serve for the rest of the set, with
Clavet's Cinderalla record against Agassi here in Scottsdale ending in quick fashion, 6-3, 6-2 in 1 hour, 7
minutes. All credit to the Spaniard for hanging tough despite his injury.
Agassi meets Greg Rusedski in the 2nd round featured night match tomorrow. Rusedski was an interested
spectator through much of today's Agassi match. But perhaps not in the smartest move, the ever-grinning
Brit watched the match in a rare shady spot - an usher's chair - which left him spending much more time
signing autographs than watching the match.
Tommy Haas (#2) vs. Carlos Moya (First Round)
Head to Head: Tied 4-4 (Last Meeting: 2001 Monte Carlo, 2R, Haas 1-6, 6-3, 6-3)
For the first time in eight career meetings, Tommy Haas and Carlos Moya met on a hard court. Deadlocked
at 4-4, Haas, the #2 seed and #6-ranked player, was looking to move ahead of Moya (currently ranked #25)
in their head-to-head history.
Earlier in the day, I saw Moya around the grounds and had to do double take over what I thought was
peaking out from under his cap. So with interest, I awaited Moya's arrival onto the court to make sure my
eyes had not deceived me. They had not. Moya's hair was tightly and completely braided into corn-rows
with beads attached to the ends of each braid of hair. Had Moya fallen asleep on the beaches of Acapulco
after his win and been surreptitiously braided or was he just giving the "Venus/Serena Williams - The Early
Years" look a spin? Be sure to check back for the Franklin Templeton photo galleries next week!
Haas won the toss and elected to serve. The German struggled in the six-minute opening game. Two
forehand errors gave Moya the early break. Moya double faulted on his first serve but made up for it later
in the game with a 123-mph ace and consolidated the break for a 2-0 lead. Moya broke Haas again in the
fifth game with two beautiful passes at the net. A clearly bothered Haas hung on for the rest of the set, but
was unable to reach a break point on the Moya serve. Moya won the first set 6-2 with a 116-mph ace in 26
minutes.
Haas held to open the second the second set but was clearly bothered by the state of his game. When Moya
won his first service game, Haas spent time in the back of the court mumbling to himself and attempting to
reshape his racquet frame with his bare hands. Haas finally earned his first break point of the match in the
sixth game - he converted for a 4-2 lead when Moya sent a forehand wide. Haas's misfortunes continued as
he was easily broken by Moya in the next game to bring the set back on serve. Haas recovered from the
missed opportunity and earned to more break chances at 6-5, this time they were also set points. But yet
another forehand error sent the set to a tiebreak. Haas smashed his racquet sharply to the ground and
received an abuse warning as he walked the now mangled piece of tennis equipment back to his tennis bag.
Here is how the second set tiebreak unfurled:
H: 110-mph ace for Haas, Haas 1-0.
M: A Moya forehand lands in the net on 7th shot of a rally, Haas 2-0.
M: Overhead winner for Moya, Haas 2-1.
H: A loose Moya forehand sails long, Haas 3-1.
H: On 10th shot of rally, a Moya forehand lands in the net, Haas, 4-1.
M: Another long rally, a short reply from Moya from a deep forehand from Haas, Haas 5-1.
M: Haas sends a forehand wide, Haas 5-2.
H: Moya hits a backhand into the net on a Haas forehand approach, Haas 6-2.
H: 114-mph ace for Haas, Haas 7-2.
With the momentum shifting now to Haas, the German went up an early break in the final set to take a 2-1
lead. But, once again he was unable to hold onto the break. Moya broke Haas later in the set and with that
the dispirited German was out of the match. After his victory last week in Acapulco, Moya continued his
win streak with a 6-2, 6-7, 6-3 first round decision today. Moya briefly discussed his new hairdo after the
match, saying he considered taking out the braids prior to today's match, but now appeared superstitious
about making any changes.
So a bad day for the even-numbered seeds as #2 Haas, #4 Canas, and also #8 Sjeng Schalken were first
round victims. All these seeds were in the lower half of the draw. The only seed alive in this half is the #6
seeded Spaniard, Albert Portas. Moya meets his countryman, Fernando Vicente, in the second round.
Look for more reports from the 2002 Franklin Templeton Men's Tennis Classic later this week.