From ATP
http://www.atptennis.com/en/newsandscores/news/news/marseille4.asp
Federer, Escude Advance as Four Frenchmen Fall
No. 3 Grosjean among ousted local favorites.
Home-court advantage did not appear to be in effect at the OPEN 13 in Marseille
on Thursday, as four of the six French players in action were defeated,
including No. 3 seed and France's brightest star Sebastien Grosjean. However,
two Frenchmen, Nicolas Escude and surprising qualifier Rodolphe Cadart, did
manage to advance to the quarterfinals, as did top seed Roger Federer of
Switzerland.
Grosjean was ousted by Slovakian veteran Karol Kucera, 7-6(4), 6-1, for just
his second loss of the year. Kucera, No. 23 in the ATP Champions Race 2003,
improves to a stellar 7-2 record on the year including a runner-up showing in
Chennai (l. to Srichaphan), his first appearance in an ATP final since 1999.
Other French players eliminated on Thursday were Olivier Mutis, beaten by
another Slovak Dominik Hrbaty, 6-3, 6-4; qualifier Cyril Saulnier, defeated
by Dutchman Raemon Sluiter, 7-5, 6-7(1), 6-2; and 16-year-old sensation Richard
Gasquet, who strained his left thigh while winning a first-set tiebreak
against Belgium's Olivier Rochus and was forced to retire, down 0-5 in the
second set. Gasquet is scheduled to have his thigh examined Friday to determine
the severity of the injury. :~
Federer eased to a 6-3, 6-3 win over Finland's Jarkko Nieminen, while Cadart
stopped Belarussian giant Max Mirnyi, 7-6(5), 6-2, for his fifth straight match
win including his three wins to qualify for the main draw here. In the most
dramatic clash of the day, the vetean Escude saved four match points in
defeating 18-year-old rising Croatian star Mario Ancic, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, with a
12-10 win in the decisive third-set tiebreak.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
Grosjean: "After Davis Cup it was really tough to get up physically and
mentally, I have to say. I wasn't 100% today, I was a step slower than usual."
"I would have preferred to play in the evening. The crowd didn't energize me
as much as it could have, or like yesterday when I played in the afternoon on
kids day."
Federer: "I am definitely still feeling it a little physically from this
weekend and the Davis Cup, I played three matches -- singles, doubles,
singles -- and really invested a lot emotionally in my team."
"Even if the score doesn't seem like a tough match, I had to work hard and
save a number of break points, and even if I was the last seed left in the
tournament, there are a number of great players still in the draw."
"I defeated Sluiter pretty easily in the Davis Cup and I'm looking forward to
the match."
Cadart: "Physically I feel great, because yesterday I had a day off and I won
in two sets today, so I have a lot left in me."
On reaching his first ATP quarterfinal
"This has been a great tournament for me so far, a great memory, but it hasn't
exactly changed my life for now."
On quarterfinal opponent Nicolas Escude
"Playing Escude reminds of a satellite in Bulgaria a few years ago when we were
roommates at the tournament and we played each other... Since then, I've had
some injury problems, and he has, of course become a top player. But it will
be exciting to play a French Davis Cup player."
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