Safin finds his feet on clay at Swedish Open

Published on Tuesday 8 July 2008 23:24

MARAT Safin, a surprise semi- finalist at Wimbledon, found the transition from grass to clay difficult to master, but did just enough to beat Spaniard Marc Lopez at the Swedish Open in Bastad yesterday.

The big-serving Russian former world No1 won 7-6, 7-5 in two hours 20 minutes to set up a second-round meeting with Italian Potito Starace.

Safin, who defeated Novak Djokovic on his way to the semi-finals of Wimbledon before losing to Roger Federer, clinched the first-set tie-break 8-6 after a rare double fault by Lopez.

In the second set, the double grand slam winner, now ranked 40 in the world, looked more comfortable and played more aggressively, breaking him to go 6-5 up.

"It's tough coming here straight from the grass," Safin admitted. "Here I have to work an extra shot to come into the net."

Starace earlier defeated Spain's Carlos Moya, the 2002 winner and fifth seed, with a gritty 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 win.

Also in the first round, home favourite Thomas Johansson beat fellow Swede Filip Prpic 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, while Finn Jarkko Nieminen beat Argentine Sergio Roitman 6-4, 6-2.

Tennis fans in Switzerland are still coming to terms with Federer's Wimbledon final defeat to Rafael Nadal, crowds are still flocking to the Swiss Open at Gstaad. There was a shock in the first round as Germany's Dominik Meffert beat No 5 seed Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.

Nicolas Kiefer, the No6 seed gained a measure of revenge for Germany as he beat Seppi's countryman Gianluca Naso 6-3, 6-2, while Romanian Victor Hanescu beat Frenchman Olivier Patience 7-6 (7-4), 6-2.

The ATP Campbell's Hall of Fame Championships also began in Newport, Rhode Island, and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureschi of Pakistan shocked Benjamin Becker 7-5, 7-6 (7-5).