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Safin, Fish fall in Miami

Thu 27th, March 2008

Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Former world No. 1 Russian Marat Safin came up a first-round loser at the hands of unheralded American Bobby Reynolds on Thursday at the $3.77 million Sony Ericsson Open -- the second of nine ATP Masters Series events this year. Last week's surprise Indian Wells runner-up Mardy Fish also exited the draw here on Day 2.

The qualifier Reynolds, ranked 104th in the world, snuck past the two-time Grand Slam event champion Safin 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-6 (7-5) at Crandon Park. Safin is now a dismal 1-5 so far this year, including setbacks in his last five matches.

Meanwhile, pesky Frenchman Arnaud Clement, a former Australian Open runner-up, toppled the American Fish in 6-3, 6-3 fashion. Fish was last week's Indian Wells runner-up to Novak Djokovic and stunned world No. 1 Roger Federer in the semifinals in the California desert.

Argentine slugger Jose Acasuso charged past Spaniard Santiago Ventura 6-2, 6-4 to set-up a second-round clash with former top-ranked Aussie Lleyton Hewitt, while capable Croatian wild card Mario Ancic outlasted Frenchman Gilles Simon 6-2, 6-7 (2-7), 6-3.

Additional first-round wins came for Israeli Dudi Sela, Italian Simone Bolelli, Austrian Jurgen Melzer, Frenchman Julien Benneteau, Czech qualifier Ivo Minar, Serbians Janko Tipsarevic and qualifier Viktor Troicki, and Latvian Ernests Gulbis. Benneteau bested former Australian Open runner-up Rainer Schuettler of Germany 1-6, 6-1, 6-2, while Minar topped tough Belgian Olivier Rochus 6-3, 6-2 and Troicki trounced his countryman Victor Hanescu 6-4, 6-1 to set-up a second-rounder against sixth-seeded American favorite Andy Roddick.

Other first-round winners were a pair of Swedish players in Thomas Johansson and Robin Soderling. Johansson bettered qualifier Igor Kunitsyn 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, while Soderling topped Stefan Koubek 6-0, 6-1.

Also, American qualifier Ryan Sweeting won his first-round matchup with Italian Filippo Volandri in straight sets, and Gael Monfils closed out the night's action with a 6-7 (8-10), 6-3, 6-3 win over John Isner. Monfils' win set up a second-round match with top-seeded Roger Federer.

The Serbian Djokovic defeated gritty Argentine Guillermo Canas in last year's Miami finale. The high-flying Djokovic is also the reigning Aussie Open champ.

The top seeds at this 12-day, 96-player hardcourt tournament are two-time champion Federer, French Open titlist Rafael Nadal and Djokovic.

The 2008 winner here will claim $590,000.