Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Associated Press
ACAPULCO, Mexico - Defending champion Luis Horna lasted just two games before retiring with an injury against fifth-seeded Gaston Gaudio in the first round of the Mexican Open on Tuesday.
Horna, who won his first career title here a year ago and his second this month in Chile, pulled up with a right leg injury while serving at 1-1.
Gaudio has lost seven straight opening-round matches dating back to last October. The former French Open champion hadn't won since the second round of the U.S. Open last September. He'll face fellow countryman Juan-Pablo Guzman in the second round.
"I'm playing the worst tennis of my life, and a win like this does not help, because I cannot see where I stand, and it doesn't help to build confidence," Gaudio said. "Today, I'm leaving with nothing."
In other matches, former Acapulco champs Carlos Moya and Agustin Calleri won in straight sets.
Two-time former winner Moya beat Mexican wild card Bruno Echagaray 6-3, 6-4, and second-seeded Calleri, the 2003 champ, defeated Alberto Martin of Spain 6-3, 6-2.
Both of the finalists in Buenos Aires two days ago lost. First-time ATP champion Juan Monaco of Argentina fell to sixth-seeded Nicolas Massu of Chile 7-6 (4), 7-5, and Alessio Di Mauro of Italy was beaten by Lukas Dlouhy of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-2.
Third-seeded Nicolas Almagro of Spain had 14 aces in a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Mariano Zabaleta of Argentina.
In first-round women's play, top-seeded Marion Bartoli of France overcame a sluggish start to defeat compatriot Camille Pin 7-6 (7), 6-2. Pin took a 5-0 lead in the first set but Bartoli managed to fight back to 5-5. From there, Bartoli forced a tiebreaker and didn't look back.
She was followed by No. 2-seeded Tathiana Garbin of Italy, No. 3 Martina Muller of Germany, No. 4 Severine Bremond of France, No. 5 Flavia Pennetta of Italy, and No. 6 Gisela Dulko of Argentina.
Among unseeded winners, Roberta Vinci of Italy, the Bogota champion on Sunday, beat Ashley Harkleroad of the United States 6-3, 6-3, and Alize Cornet of France put out 2004 champion Iveta Benesova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (2), 4-6, 6-3.
The only two seeded losers were No. 7 Sybille Bammer of Austria, who knocked out by Italian qualifier Sara Errani 6-2, 7-6 (6), and No. 8 Nicole Pratt of Australia, who lost to Mexican wild card Melissa Torres Sandoval 2-6, 6-3, 6-3. Torres Sandoval, ranked 402 in the world, won for the first time in seven attempts at her hometown event.
"I've always believed in myself and kept fighting," said Torres, ranked 402. "It's one of the biggest games of my career."