Wildcards & Withdrawals

[TennisHack]

Luczak and Ferguson get wildcards
Date: 06/05/05

seven.com.au/news/sport/79529

Australians Peter Luczak and Sophie Ferguson have received wildcards into this month's French Open tennis main draw, under a reciprocal agreement between Tennis Australia and the French Tennis Federation.

Luczak, 25, is Australia's third highest world-ranked player at 131.

Peter Johnston, head of men's tennis at Tennis Australia, said Mark Philippoussis had initially been offered the men's wildcard.

"Mark has been working hard in the United States with his new coach Andrew Florent, however he advised us that he wouldn't be ready in time to contest the French Open and was going to focus his energies on the grasscourt season leading up to Wimbledon," Johnston said in a Tennis Australia statement.

Ferguson, 19, is Australia's fifth ranked player at 246 and is coached by Tony Roche.

She made a successful Fed Cup playing debut when Australia competed in India last month.

The French Open will be held at Roland Garros from May 23-June 5.

Copyright © 2005 AFP

[TennisHack]

Molik out of French Open; Hewitt slowed by injury
May 5, 2005

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- Alicia Molik pulled out of the French Open because of an inner-ear infection and a foot injury will limit Lleyton Hewitt to one clay court tournament tuneup before this month's Grand Slam.

Molik, ranked eighth in the world, pulled out of this week's German Open and planned to play in the Italian Open next week. But an inner-ear infection has caused her dizziness and a lack of energy.

She will now stay in Melbourne and not return to the tour until the Eastbourne grass court tournament in June, the week before Wimbledon.

"She has decided there was just not much point pushing herself to be ready on the clay when she really needs to rest," Molik's manager Lisa Chaffey, said on Friday.

Molik, a winner of one singles and three doubles titles this season, has not won a singles match at the French Open since 1999.

Second-ranked Hewitt pulled out of next week's Hamburg Masters but will play the World Team Cup in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Hewitt, a two-time quarterfinalist at the French Open, said he hasn't fully recovered from foot surgery. He hasn't played a tour event since losing to Roger Federer in the Indian Wells Masters final in early March. He injured his toe during his semifinal win over Andy Roddick.

Hewitt was training on a clay court in Sydney with Australia Davis Cup coach Wally Masur.

The French Open starts on May 23.

[TennisHack]

Capriati set to miss Wimbledon
Wed May 4, 2:50 PM ET

OAKLAND, California, May 4 (Reuters) - Former world number one Jennifer Capriati may not return to action until August.

"She's still entered in Wimbledon, but she might not be back until sometime in August," Capriati's agent Gavin Forbes told Reuters on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old Capriati underwent shoulder surgery in January and has has not played since last November.

The former French Open champion is rehabilitating her shoulder at home in Florida. Wimbledon starts on June 20.

[TennisHack]

Myskina doubtful for French Open

(Reuters) -- Anastasia Myskina is doubtful for the defence of her French Open title due to a nagging shoulder injury. "I'm still optimistic, but we won't know until the end of next week," her coach Jens Gerlach told Reuters by telephone from Germany on Friday.

"She's not 100 percent now and she's receiving treatment at home in Moscow. If she can't train the week before Roland Garros, it will be difficult for her to go there and play the way she wants to."

Russian Myskina pulled out of next week's Italian Open on Friday. Earlier this week in Berlin she lost 6-2 1-6 6-4 to German wild card Julia Schruff and she has only reached only one semi-final this year.

"Right now it's hard to think positive, but I'm hoping everything will turn out okay," Myskina told Reuters by telephone from Berlin.

"I'm trying to do my best, but it's not really working. When you lose a lot of matches, you lose confidence."

Myskina is unable to practise serving because of her injury.

"I'm not going to find any excuses for why I'm losing right now," Myskina added. "I'm not losing because of my serve I'm losing because I'm not showing my best tennis from the baseline."

Myskina's Fed Cup team mate Elena Dementivea said her friend was also having personal problems.

"She's not the type of person who makes excuses for anything," Gerlach said.

FIRST RUSSIAN

Myskina became the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title when she beat Dementieva in the 2004 French Open final.

She lost in the Olympic semi-final to eventual champion Justine Henin-Hardenne before winning a tournament in Moscow and leading her nation to the Fed Cup title.

Myskina ended 2004 ranked a career-high number three and declared her intention of taking over the number one ranking but after being upset by Nathalie Dechy at the Australian Open, her game went downhill.

"I had so many unforced errors against Dechy and was so bad that after that I began to lose confidence because I felt weak," said the sixth-ranked Myskina.

"I have to work harder, but sometimes when you lose a match [like the one against Shruff] you don't want to play. I have to learn to win the important points again."

Gerlach said Myskina's injury might be a result of playing too much over the past three years.

The Russian has played 22 tournaments in the last 12 months, more than anyone in the top 10 except for Vera Zvonareva.

"The way she plays, she doesn't win a lot of easy matches and has to fight a lot in three setters," Gerlach said.

"She's put herself through a lot. She was due for a break sooner or later."

Gerlach said that if Myskina's shoulder does heal in time for the French Open starting later this month she must rediscover the fire in her belly.

"She's been a champion and knows how to dig deep like a champion," he said. "If she gets to Paris and wins a couple of good matches, maybe she'll feel the magic of Roland Garros again."

[TennisHack]

Hewitt may miss French Open
Leo Schlink
11may05

www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,15245016%5E3162,00.html

LLEYTON Hewitt is in extreme doubt for the French Open after cracking his ribs in a freak mishap.

Hewitt last night withdrew from the ARAG World Team Cup in Dusseldorf, where he was to lead Australia's charge from Sunday.

The Wimbledon and US Open winner fell at his Sydney home on Monday. Hewitt consulted doctors at the New South Wales Institute of Sport and Davis Cup medico David Brooks and X-rays revealed he had damaged two ribs.

The accident is the latest setback for the world No. 2, who will now struggle to be fit to contest the French Open in Paris in 12 days.

If Hewitt is unable to travel to Roland Garros, it will be the first grand slam tournament he has missed since the 1998 US Open.

"It is an unfortunate mishap and very disappointing," Hewitt's coach Roger Rasheed said last night.

"Lleyton has worked hard to recover from toe surgery after the Indian Wells final and he had prepared very well for the claycourt season. We will do our best to be ready for the French Open."

Hewitt's absence from the French Open would not only further dilute Australia's presence -- Alicia Molik (illness) and Mark Philippoussis (fitness) will not play -- it would also jeopardise his world No. 2 ranking.

Despite slipping to No. 3 in the Champions' race, Hewitt retains a valuable points lead over American Andy Roddick in the entry ranking system.

But if Hewitt is unable to defend the quarter-final points he won last year in Paris and Roddick has a strong tournament, Hewitt's hold on the No. 2 seeding for Wimbledon could be in doubt.

Hewitt has lost the semi-final points he won at last year's Hamburg Masters, but has a reprieve after Roddick's first-round loss.

If Hewitt bypasses the French, he will immediately begin preparations for Wimbledon's grass.

He could remain in Sydney and use the portable Tennis Australia court to be used for the Davis Cup quarter-final against Argentina in July.

Hewitt has played just 21 matches this season -- winning 18 -- after reaching the Australian Open final, winning Sydney and starring at Masters series level in the US.

But he has not been able to get back on the court competitively since losing the Indian Wells final to world No. 1 Roger Federer in March.

The baseliner withdrew from Miami, incurring a $52,000 fine, to undergo surgery on his foot to remove a cyst.

Since resuming training, Hewitt has quickly found familiar form.

But last week he scratched from Hamburg, where French Open favourites Rafael Nadal and Carlos Moya have also withdrawn.

Hewitt was due to leave Australia tomorrow for Dusseldorf. Devastated by the injury, he contacted Dusseldorf officials late yesterday.

It is not known if the Australian team, to be led now by Wayne Arthurs and his doubles partner Paul Hanley, will hold its place if Scott Draper answers an 11th hour call-up to replace Hewitt.

If not, the German round-robin might be forced to summon a substitute team.

With world No. 8 Molik recovering from an inner ear infection and Philippoussis knocking back a wildcard to prepare for Wimbledon, Arthurs and Sam Stosur will be Australia's highest-ranked players at the French Open.

Draper, Peter Luczak, Sophie Ferguson and Nicole Pratt complete the group ahead of qualifying next week.

[TennisHack]

Verkerk Pulls Out of French Open
Thu May 12,11:53 AM ET

PARIS - Martin Verkerk, the big-serving Dutchman who finished runner-up at the 2003
French Open, pulled out of this year's event Thursday with a shoulder injury.

Argentina's Edgardo Massa also has withdrawn with a sore shoulder. Australia's Scott Draper and Sweden's Thomas Enqvist will be their replacements.

Two years ago, an unseeded Verkerk lost the final 6-1, 6-3, 6-2 to Spain's Juan Carlos Ferrero.

Australia's Alicia Molik has pulled out of the women's draw with an ear infection and will be replaced by countrywoman Evie Dominikovic.

Organizers at Roland Garros also announced the tournament's wild-card entrants Thursday. France's Thierry Ascione, Julien Benneteau, Arnaud Clement, Gael Monfils, Florent Serra and Gilles Simon were selected along with Peter Luczak of Australia. The eighth wild card will be chosen later.

In the women's draw, France's Mailyne Andrieux, Alize Cornet, Yulia Fedossova, Mathilde Johansson, Pauline Parmentier, Camille Pin, Aravane Rezai and Australia's Sophie Ferguson were added as wild cards.

The clay-court Grand Slam tournament begins May 23.

[TennisHack]

News in brief (I)
By Benjamin Waldbaum
Sunday, May 15, 2005

www.rolandgarros.com/en_FR/news/articles/2005-05-15/200505151116160829082.html

Wild cards

On May 12th, the tournament Management released the list of wild cards for the men and women's singles at the 2005 French Open. The eighth and final wild card for the men's tournament will be given out at a later date.

The men's wild cards were awarded to the French players Thierry Ascione, Julien Benneteau, Arnaud Clément, Gaël Monfils, Florent Serra and Gilles Simon, as well as to the Australian Peter Luczak (as a result of an agreement with the Australian Tennis Federation, a wild card is granted in both the men and women's singles to an Australian player).

In the women's singles, the wild cards have been awarded to the French players Maïlyne Andrieux, Alizé Cornet, Youlia Fedossova, Mathilde Johansson, Pauline Parmentier, Camille Pin and Aravane Rezai. Like Luczak, her fellow-Australian, Sophie Ferguson benefited from the agreement between the Australian and French federations.

Verkerk, Massa and Molik - Out!

The Dutchman, Martin Verkerk, finalist at Roland Garros in 2003, and the Argentine Edgardo Massa have both withdrawn from the 2005 French Open due to injured shoulders. They have been replaced by Aussie Scott Draper and Swede Thomas Enqvist. Australia's female hope, Alicia Molik, has also withdrawn. She has an inner-ear infection. Her replacement in the final draw is fellow-Australian Evie Dominikovic.

[Brinyi]

The final men's WC goes to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Zabaleta has withdrawn
... therefore Benneteau is in the main draw
... which frees up another WC, which goes to Olivier Patience.

[Brinyi]

In addition to Mariano Zabaleta (foot), Agustin Calleri (back) has withdrawn.

David Sanchez joins Benneteau in the main draw.

[TennisHack]

Struggling Myskina will defend French Open title
2005-05-17 16:08:08 GMT (Reuters)
By Matthew Cronin

OAKLAND, California, May 17 (Reuters) - Russia's Anastasia Myskina will attempt to defend her French Open title despite a nagging shoulder injury, her coach said on Tuesday.

"We are practising again and we are planning on playing Paris. We will arrive on Thursday," Myskina's coach, Jens Gerlach, told Reuters in a statement.

After being stunned by German wild card Julia Schruff in Berlin, Myskina pulled out of last week's Italian Open and flew home to Moscow to receive treatment.

At the time, she was unsure whether she would be able to play the French Open, which runs from May 23 to June 5.

Myskina has been unable to practise her serve because of her shoulder injury.

"I'm not going to find any excuses for why I'm losing right now," Myskina said in Berlin. "I'm not losing because of my serve I'm losing because I'm not showing my best tennis from the baseline."

FRENCH WINNER

Myskina became the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam singles title when she beat Elena Dementieva in the 2004 French Open final.

She finished last year ranked a career high number three in the world and stated her intention of taking over the number one ranking. But after being stunned by Nathalie Dechy at the 2005 Australian Open, her game has suffered.

Myskina has only reached one semi-final this year, in Antwerp.

"I have to learn to win the important points again, " Myskina said.

Dementieva added that her friend is also having "personal problems" but Myskina declined to discuss them or whether they are affecting her play.

"She's not the type of person who makes excuses for anything," Gerlach said, adding that even if Myskina's shoulder is healthy in Paris she will have to rediscover her inner fire.

"She's been a champion and knows how to dig deep like a champion," he said.

"If she gets to Paris and wins a couple of good matches, maybe she'll feel the magic of Roland Garros again."

[Brinyi]

Hewitt and Dent have officially withdrawn.

If my understanding is correct this means that Wawrinka and Behrend are in the main draw, because even if the lose their final round qualie match, as the top two remaining seeds they are in as LLs anyway.

[Brinyi]

And I believe this also makes seeds out of Chela and Ferrero.