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| Bleak day for Russia as Safin's losing streak continues
MADRID, Oct 14 (AFP) - Marat Safin's losing streak reached the half-year mark Tuesday as the 2000 US Open champion went down in the first round of the 2.45-million-euro Masters Series Madrid, a 4-6, 7-5, 6-4 victim of Jonas Bjorkman. Safin led three other countrymen - Mikhail Youzhny, Nikolay Davydenko and veteran Yevgeny Kafelnikov - out the door on a day to forget for Mother Russia. Only Max Mirnyi of Belarus, the former While Russia, saved some face as he beat American James Blake 6-3, 6-3. BizVantage – Personalized business, investment or technology Intelligence: the ultimate advantage. Spain's David Ferrer stopped Youzhny 1-6, 6-4, 6-4, while American Jan-Michael Gambill defeated Davydenko 6-3, 6-3. Swede Thomas Enqvist took revenge for defeat in the 1999 Australian Open final as he put out Kafelnikov when the Russian retired after losing the first set 6-3. Veteran Swede Bjorkman inflicted more pain on Safin, who is still struggling to return to form after months of wrist problems. Though he has not required surgery, the 23-year-old has had a tough time as the problem slowly recedes. An attempt at Los Angeles in July resulted in failure to complete a first-round match. Last week in Lyon, and the week previously in Moscow, the struggling Safin was also beaten. His last victory came in the Barcelona semi-finals in mid-April over Juan Carlos Ferrero. "I've been out for a long time," said Safin. "It's difficult to come back and start winning matches, you lose everything. "You lose the movement on the court, the eye, the confidence. When you come back you start to pick up these small things step-by-step." Safin looked like getting at least something right as he won the opening set, holding off a Bjorkman rally from 1-5 down. But in the second, the 31-year-old Swede, a former world number four, began to turn on the pressure. With almost no recent match practise Safin caved in. Bjorkman eventually triumphed in two hours, 31 minutes, striking 40 winners compared to 48 for Safin, who also produced 16 aces. "I have no complaints," said the reigning Wimbledon doubles champion. "This was a match where I felt good in the beginning, then I messed up tactically. "I managed to come back and fight my way. It feels great to come through matches like that." The second round began after byes for all 16 seeds, but the free pass only delayed the inevitable for slumping former Roland Garros winner Gustavo Kuerten. The Brazilian 13th seed lost his 20th match of the season, going down to Chile's Nicolas Massu 6-3, 7-5 after saving three match points. Massu made life a misery for "Guga," whose only title this season came ten months ago in Auckland. The Chilean now stands 3-0 in their series and has yet to win a match in Madrid. Brit Tim Henman suffered 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 opening-round disappointment, sinking against young American Mardy Fish. "It was back and forth in the first set, but I started to feel in control," said the winner, who struck three double-faults in the last game as he served for victory. "But there was also grinding. In the end it was the momentum which gave me the match." Henman, the world number 30, was coming off a semi-final last weekend in Vienna, lost here in his first match a year ago. "It's frustrating, but there are aspects I can work on in Basel next week," said the Briton. "There's nothing wrong with me and nothing wrong with my game." There was misery for Mark Phillipoussis, when the number nine seed was beaten 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the second round by Feliciano Lopez, the Spaniard who has threatened to take legal action after he was named in a British newspaper report about match-fixing. str/gj03 Tennis-ATP-SPA
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