Tennis: Kafelnikov off to winning start
Yevgeny Kafelnikov got his Masters Cup campaign off to a winning start after coming from a set down to defeat Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero in Sydney.
The fifth-seeded Russian lost the first set 6-4 but rallied impressively to take the second 6-1.
Ferrero, who is the fourth seed and lies one place above Kafelnikov in the ATP Champions Race, recovered in the third set but Kafelnikov held firm in a pulsating tie-breaker, taking the set 7-6 (7-5).
In today’s other match pits Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic, the number eight seed, beat French Open winner and current world number one Gustavo Kuerten 6-2 6-7 (2-7) 6-4.
Sydney Standings
Ken Rosewall Group
W L Sets w/l Games w/l
(8) G Ivanisevic (Cro) 1 0 2-1 18-13
(5) Y Kafelnikov (Rus) 1 0 2-1 17-13
(4) JC Ferrero (Spa) 0 1 1-2 13-17
(1) G Kuerten (Bra) 0 1 1-2 13-18
John Newcombe Group
W L Sets w/l Games W/l
(3) A Agassi (USA) 1 0 2-0 12-6
(2) L Hewitt (Aus) 1 0 2-1 15-11
(7) S Grosjean (Fra) 0 1 1-2 11-15
(6) P Rafter (Aus) 0 1 0-2 6-12
