ATP World No. 3 Novak Djokovic was unable to continue last week's sizzling form in Canada, losing his first-round match at the Western & Southern Financial Group Masters to resurgent Spaniard Carlos Moya. Djokovic, who won his second ATP Masters Series title of the year in Montreal, was broken in the third game of the match and never recovered, ultimately losing
6-4, 6-1.
"I felt a bit tired and didn't have enough time to prepare for this tournament," Djokovic said. "So it was unfortunately short period of time between the two tournaments. Moya is a great player. He had already won one match here on this surface, so it's quite different than Montreal. It's quite different.
"The balls are flying more and there's no control. That's why there's a lot of unforced errors by all the players. It's quite difficult if you are not spending two are three days here of practice and matches to play well."
Moya, who says his eyes are set on a return to the Top 10, now finds himself in a seedless quarter with a good chance to reach the semifinals. He next plays Argentine qualifier Juan Martin del Potro. Moya won 20 of 21 points on his first serve and saved the lone break point he faced in the match. The former ATP World No. 1 won the Cincinnati title in 2002.
Moya claimed his second win over Djokovic at ATP Masters Series level this year (Hamburg). The veteran, who will turn 31 on August 27, said that his experience told him that he would have a good chance to cause an upset today.
"I felt very confident," Moya said."I knew I was going to have a good chance to beat him given the conditions coming from winning in Montreal, 7-6 in the third beating Federer. He's just twenty years old, and I've been in his situation so I know what you think. I know how you feel. I was coming from beating Nalbandian so I'm more in the rhythm of the competition here in Cincinnati. Everything is different for him."
James Blake, who last week suffered an abdominal injury in Montreal, continues to get better with each match in Cincinnati, today defeating Nicolas Kiefer 6-4, 6-4.
"I guess maybe no expectation is good," Blake said. "You don't know what to expect, what's going to happen with my injury. Maybe yesterday after I got a match under my belt I felt like I could swing out a little more, playing a little more free."
Top seed and ATP World No. 1 Roger Federer did not face a break point in a 6-3, 6-3 win over Frenchman Julien Benneteau. Federer has won six of his 13 ATP Masters Series shields on American hard courts, including Cincinnati in 2005. Interestingly, that victory was the only time in six outings in Cincinnati that Federer had gone beyond the second round before this week.
Federer said the first round in Cincinnati was always dangerous. "[The courts are fast and] that's why it's important for me to get into it, get into the tournament. The further the better, the better I will play.
"I was surprised to see Rafa and Novak going down, of course, after the good week they had last week. Just shows you how tough it is to back it up after Montreal.
These Master Series are tough. From the first round on you play former No. 1s or former Grand Slam champions or guys with a lot of experience, the up and coming dangers.
"I played an unknown player today, but he already had two or three matches in his legs so that's an advantage. It's always nice it take the first hurdle."
Federer will next meet Marcos Baghdatis in their first clash since the 2006 Australian Open final in 2006, won by Federer in four sets. Baghdatis rallied from a set down Wednesday night to defeat Juan Ignacio Chela 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-2.
Fifth-seeded Russian Nikolay Davydenko blew three match points in the second set tie-break but steadied to beat Robby Ginepri 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-3.
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