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Error-prone Safina escapes upset bid

Kateryna Bondarenko packs off Ivanovic; Murray wins in straight sets

— Photo: AFP

STRETCHED! Top seed Dinara Safina had to dig deep to bail herself out and survive against Olivia Rogowska of Australia.

NEW YORK: The Russian armada of potential U.S. Open champions nearly lost its commander when women’s top seed Dinara Safina had to dig out of a third-set quandary to avoid the humiliation of a first-round exit on Tuesday.

Safina, the world’s top-ranked player, uncorked 48 unforced errors and 11 double faults before conquering Australian Olivia Rogowska 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 in two hours and 35 agonizing minutes.

“I didn’t break any racquet and I didn’t get a warning so that’s already a positive,” said Safina, a triple Grand Slam finalist whose volatile temperament is well documented.

While Safina escaped and set up a second-round encounter with Germany’s Kristina Barrois, compatriots Maria Sharapova, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Elena Dementieva advanced easily.

Former No. 1 Ana Ivanovic, seeded 11th, was bundled out in the first round by 52nd-ranked Kateryna Bondarenko of Ukraine 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(7).

Agony continues

The Serb had the worst showing ever by a top-seeded woman in New York last year when she exited in the second round. Ivanovic did herself one worse this time.

“It hurts. I can tell you that,” Ivanovic said.

“I’m sure I will have sleepless nights.”

On the men’s side, 2008 runner-up and second seed Andy Murray advanced, along with 2007 finalist Novak Djokovic, the fourth seed, and hard-hitting No. 7 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga.

Safina’s near-flameout allowed her to avoid the dubious distinction of becoming the only top-seeded woman to lose in the first round of the U.S. Open.

The explosive Muscovite was down 0-3, 15-40 in the final set before making a Houdini-like escape on the sun-drenched hardcourt at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I will never give up,” said Safina, still looking for her maiden Grand Slam triumph.

“So it doesn’t matter how I play, I will run and I will stay there forever.

“I will do everything to win the match.”

The match was a festival of errors, each player begging the other to take command.

When Rogowska assumed control in the final set, her nerves got the best of her.

Sixth seed and 2004 winner Kuznetsova stomped Germany’s Julia Goerges 6-3, 6-2, while Sharapova, the 2006 champion, blitzed Bulgaria’s Tsvetana Pironkova 6-3, 6-0. Another Russian contender, 2004 finalist Dementieva, routed Frenchwoman Camille Pin 6-1, 6-2 in 59 minutes.

Easy wins

Murray used a patient game to defeat big-hitting Ernests Gulbis of Latvia 7-5, 6-3, 7-5, while Djokovic never lost his serve and cruised past Croat Ivan Ljubicic 6-3, 6-1, 6-3.

“When I needed to, I upped my game,” said Murray.

Gracious fans

The fans at Flushing Meadows were gracious to Djokovic, who was booed loudly a year ago after he made some sarcastic comments toward Andy Roddick during a courtside interview.

“What happened last year was like a fight with a girlfriend,” he said.

“These things happen. It was something that everybody can learn from it.

“I always felt at home here. I played so well last three years. I see no reason for me thinking about something that happened already.

“So today was great. I just hope that the fans will behave nice in the next rounds.”

Tsonga beat American Chase Buchanan 6-0, 6-2, 6-1 to set up a second-round match against Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen, who beat Italy’s Fabio Fognini 7-5, 7-6, 6-4.

The 24-year-old Tsonga is hoping for a breakthrough result in New York and a chance to enter the conversation as a legitimate Grand Slam title contender. “I’m here to win and to go to the next step,” the Frenchman said. “The next step for me is to be in the five best players in the world.”

Paes-Dlouhy advance

Meanwhile in men’s doubles, Leander Paes and his Czech partner Lukas Dlouhy pulled off a hard-fought win against Romanian pair of Victor Hanescu and Gabriel Trifu to enter second round.

The fourth seeds won 7-6(11), 7-6(4) in a gruelling match that lasted 1 hour and 47 minutes. — Agencies

THE RESULTS

Prefix denotes seeding

Men’s singles: First round: 2-Andy Murray (GBR) bt Ernests Gulbis (Latvia) 7-5, 6-3, 7-5; Ivan Navarro (Esp) bt 27-Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 6-4, 7-6(8), 7-6(5); Nicolas Lapentti (Ecu) bt 19-Stanislas Wawrinka (Sui) 4-6, 3-6, 7-6(6), 7-6(3), 6-3; Taylor Dent (U.S.) bt Feliciano Lopez (Esp) 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-3, 7-5; 22-Sam Querrey (U.S.) bt Michael Yani (U.S.) 6-3, 7-5, 6-4; Kevin Kim (U.S.) bt Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-3, 0-6, 6-2, 6-2; 11-Fernando Gonzalez (Chi) bt Nicolas Massu (Chi) 6-3, 6-3, 6-3; Josselin Ouanna (Fra) bt Rajeev Ram (U.S.) 7-6(4), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3; 4-Novak Djokovic (Srb) bt Ivan Ljubicic (Cro) 6-3, 6-1, 6-3; 16-Marin Cilic (Cro) bt Ryan Sweeting (U.S.) 7-6(2), 6-4, 7-6(4); 30-Viktor Troicki (Srb) bt Peter Luczak (Aus) 6-3, 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, 6-1; 17-Tomas Berdych (Cze) bt Wayne Odesnik (U.S.) 7-5, 6-4, 6-4; Julien Benneteau (Fra) bt Flavio Cipolla (Ita) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3; 10-Fernando Verdasco (Esp) bt Benjamin Becker (Ger) 7-5, 6-4, 7-5; Jarkko Nieminen (Fin) bt Fabio Fognini (Ita) 7-5, 7-6(6), 6-4; Jesse Witten (U.S.) bt 29-Igor Andreev (Rus) 6-4, 6-0, 6-2; 7-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (Fra) bt Chase Buchanan (U.S.) 6-0, 6-2, 6-1.

Women’s singles: First round: Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukr) bt 11-Ana Ivanovic (Srb) 2-6, 6-3, 7-6(7); 29-Maria Sharapova (Rus) bt Tsvetana Pironkova (Bul) 6-3, 6-0 21-Zheng Jie (Chn) bt Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Ger) 6-3, 6-2; 4-Elena Dementieva (Rus) bt Camille Pin (Fra) 6-1, 6-2; 5-Jelena Jankovic (Srb) bt Roberta Vinci (Ita) 6-2, 6-3; Shahar Peer (Isr) bt 32-Agnes Szavay (Hun) 6-2, 6-2; Petra Kvitova (Cze) bt 27-Alisa Kleybanova (Rus) 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2; 13-Nadia Petrova (Rus) bt Katarina Srebotnik (Slo) 6-3, 6-3;

1-Dinara Safina (Rus) bt Olivia Rogowska (Aus) 6-7(5), 6-2, 6-4; Gisela Dulko (Arg) bt Ekaterina Makarova (Rus) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4; 23-Sabine Lisicki (Ger) bt Aravane Rezai (Fra) 7-6(4), 6-7(4), 6-1; 13-Nadia Petrova (Rus) bt Katarina Srebotnik (Slo) 6-3, 6-3; 19-Patty Schnyder (Sui) bt Lucie Safarova (Cze) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6(6); 30-Alona Bondarenko (Ukr) bt Alla Kudryavtseva (Rus) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2; 9-Caroline Wozniacki (Den) bt Galina Voskoboeva (Kaz) 6-4, 6-0; Yanina Wickmayer (Bel) bt 16-Virginie Razzano (Fra) 6-4, 6-3; 24-Sorana Cirstea (Rom) bt Ayumi Morita (Jpn) 6-1, 6-3; 6-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) bt Julia Goerges (Ger) 6-3, 6-2; Peng Shuai (Chn) bt Jarmila Groth (Svk) 6-2, 6-3.

Men’s doubles:

First round: 4-Leander Paes (Ind) & Lukas Dlouhy (Cze) bt Victor Hanescu & Gabriel Trifu (Rom) 7-6(11), 7-6(4).

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