Capriati complacent about losing in Sydney

Robert Smith, Agence France-Presse, Sydney

Rusty top seed Jennifer Capriati was on Tuesday bounced out of the Sydney International but said it had far from destabilized her chances of successfully defending the Australian Open title this month.

Russian Tatiana Panova took advantage of the sluggish world No. 3 to take an impressive top-ten scalp, winning 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in two hours 19 minutes in the second round.

Capriati shrugged her shoulders over the ramifications of her premature loss, explaining that she had trouble winning over the years in the tournament.

"I have trouble with this tournament every year, so that's why I don't let it get me down too much," Capriati said.

Capriati has a dismal record at the Sydney tournament. She fell to qualifier Alexandra Stevenson at the same stage last year, lost in the second round to Lisa Raymond in the 2001 tournament and went down to Anna Kournikova in the second round the year before.

While Capriati was tracking down practice partners instead of progressing in the tournament, men's top seed Marat Safin cruised to a 6-1, 6-4 win over Belgian Olivier Rochus and third seed Carlos Moya advanced at the expense of American James Blake, 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3.

Roger Federer, the defending champion, crashed out to Argentinean Franco Squillari, 6-3, 7-5.

The Swiss third seed said he was hampered by a right leg injury he picked up in Doha last week and would have further treatment on it ahead of next week's grand slam.

Last year's runnerup Juan Ignacio Chela of Argentina ousted Spanish fifth seed Albert Costa, 7-6 (7/4), 6-1 and Max Mirnyi of Belarus finished strongly to eliminate Belgian Xavier Malisse, 7- 6 (7/5), 6-7 (5/7), 6-3.

Thailand's seventh seed Paradorn Srichaphan followed up his victory in last week's Indian Open, with a stylish 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 win over Australian left-hander Scott Draper in a night match.

Anna Kournikova, who has yet to win an a WTA title after eight years, began the year with another first-round loss, this time going down to Slovakia's Janette Husarova, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1.

In Auckland, New Zealand, injury-plagued Gustavo Kuerten launched his 2003 comeback with a straight sets victory over Dutch qualifier Martin Verkerk at the New Zealand Open here Tuesday.

Kuerten, who suffered a miserable season last year dogged by problems to his hip, was made to work hard but eventually overcame his opponent 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 victory.

Kuerten's return was the highlight on a day which saw second seeded Argentinean David Nalbandian bundled out by compatriot Mariano Zabaleta in a grueling two-hour slugfest.

Zabaleta, 24, fought back from a set down to win the second in a tiebreaker and go on to win the match 2-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-3 and book a second-round match against American Vince Spadea Wednesday.

In other matches Fernando Gonzalez of Chile defeated Spaniard Feliciano Lopez 3-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2.

Guillermo Coria ensured there would be at least one other Argentine in the second round when he beat Spaniard David Sanchez 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.