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Safins survives as Kafelnikov loses at Indianapolis
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Updated: 2001-08-15 14:31
An out-of-sorts Marat Safin struggled to a 4-6 6-2 6-3 second round win over Andre Sa of Brazil at the Indianapolis Championships on Tuesday.
Safin, who has a less than impressive 21-21 record this year, had not won a set since he beat American Andy Roddick in the first round of the Los Angeles tournament three weeks ago.
"First of all, I'm happy to win my first match in three weeks," said the third-ranked Safin.
"Honestly, I was still a little nervous playing this match. I have no confidence and this was one of my happiest moments in the last few weeks."
Safin, who in two weeks time will head to New York to defend his US Open title, is clearly not in the best form.
A back injury sustained in Dubai last February - his only final appearance to date this year -- kept him out of action for a few months and drained him of self-assuredness.
"I think today was a very good win for me," Safin said. "When you don't have any confidence it is very difficult to play this kind of guy in a match."
Last year, the US Open champion won seven titles, making the Russian the tour leader in titles won in 2000.
KAFELNIKOV LOSES
Safin's countryman, fourth-seeded Yevgeny Kafelnikov was bundled out of the tournament 6-3 6-3 by Max Mirnyi of Belarus.
"Luckily for me, it was an easy day for me," the 47th-ranked Mirnyi said.
"Surely enough, he is up-and-down and now he's more on the downside.
"It takes a lot to beat a player like him and today I executed my shots and everything went well."
Kafelnikov, who has won two major tournaments, never had a break point opportunity and lost his serve twice in the first set and once in the second set.
He saved two match points on his own serve in the eighth game of the second set, but then watched Mirnyi close out the match at love in the next game.
American teen Robby Ginepri scored a big first round win with a 6-1 5-7 6-4 victory over Karim Alami of Morocco.
It was only the second match Ginepri has won in the main draw of an ATP tournament, having captured his first tour victory three weeks ago with a win over Sebastien Lareau of Canada in Los Angeles.
While the 359th-ranked Ginepri squandered five match points when serving at 6-1 5-4 and lost the second set, he broke the 120th-ranked Moroccan in the third game of the third set to eventually win the one hour, 58 minute match.
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