Angie suffers double loss to Loit in Canberra

Musthofid, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Despite brimming with confidence, Indonesia's Angelique Widjaja was defeated by Emilie Loit of France in the second round of the US$110,000 Canberra Classic women's tennis tournament on Wednesday.

To complete Indonesian woe, Angie, teaming up with Argentinean Clarisa Fernandez, had to abandon her women's doubles hopes, crashing out to Loit and Tathiana Garbin.

"Angie lost her singles' match against Loit 4-6, 4-6 in an hour and 35 minutes," Angie's manager Virginia Rusli said.

Coach Deddy Tedjamukti said Angie lost to a player who put in a better performance than her on the day.

"Particularly with her serve, Loit played good serves throughout. At the crucial moment, Angie often flopped," Deddy said on angeliquewidjaja.com.

According to a match report released to The Jakarta Post, Angie and Loit were involved in a roller-coaster match in which the two players took turns leading.

Angie trailed in the opening set before catching up and taking the lead. After being overtaken at 2-3 she was back in the lead only to relinquish and drop the set.

In the second set, the Indonesian, who is currently ranked 72 in the world compared to Loit's 58, won the first two games. However, at 4-3 she could not hold on and lost the match.

With Fernandez, Angie also went out to the Frenchwoman, paired with Italian Garbin, 6-3, 2-6, 6-7 (5).

Meanwhile, wild weather wreaked havoc on the Sydney International on Wednesday, with some of the top Australian Open hopefuls battling through stifling heat, gale-force winds and an electrical storm, Reuters reported.

Most of the top players, including last year's Australian Open finalist Marat Safin, survived temperatures that soared to 45 degrees Celsius but the storms that followed claimed some big- name victims.

Safin, playing just after noon, staged a mighty comeback to beat Finnish Jarkko Nieminen 3-6, 6-1, 6-2.

World number 10 Andy Roddick was sent packing 7-6, 7-5 by Korean qualifier Lee Hyung-taik after the 110 kph gusts turned their match into a farce.

Bulgaria's Magdalena Maleeva, the women's eighth seed, also made an early exit after the weather turned foul, losing to Amanda Coetzer 6-4 6-1.

Carlos Moya, the former world number one now ranked five, was knocked out by the 83rd-listed Mardy Fish, squandering a 4-2 lead in the final set and serving double-faults on the last two points to hand the American a 7-6, 4-6, 6-4 win.

Last year's runner-up Juan Ignacio Chela also bowed out late at night, losing 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 to South African Wayne Ferreira.

French Open finalist Juan Carlos Ferrero and Belgian Fed Cup teammates Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne also survived to make it through to the quarterfinals.

In Melbourne, Australian powerhouse Mark Philippoussis ground out a 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 victory over former world number two Alex Corretja at Kooyong on Wednesday.

Andre Agassi spent less time on court, beating Swede Thomas Enqvist 7-6, 6-3 as he fine tunes his aggressive baseline game before heading into the Open as second seed.

Agassi will face French 16-year-old Richard Gasquet in the next stage of the round robin warm-up event after he beat Younes El Aynaoui -- seeded 18th at next week's Open -- 7-6, 6-3.

In the final match of the day, France's Sebastien Grosjean beat Xavier Malisse 2-6, 6-4, 1-0 when the Belgian withdrew with a left calf muscle strain.

Separately in Auckland, New Zealand, rain wiped out any chance of singles play in the second round of the Auckland Open on Wednesday.

The Stanley Street courts were awash with water from early morning rain, which continued throughout the day.

Doubles matches were switched to an indoor venue, while the singles will resume on Thursday, weather permitting.