TENNIS WORLD

Bildagentur Zolles/Robert Zolles Second seed Fernando Gonzalez (pictured) defeated Italian Simone Bolelli 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-2 in the first round of the Bank Austria-Tennis Trophy in Vienna on Monday.
The victory was a potentially significant one in the race for the remaining four berths at Tennis Masters Cup Shanghai as Stanislas Wawrinka, who is currently 10th in the ATP 2008 Race, slipped up against Philipp Petzschner. Gonzalez is in 11th place, seven points behind Wawrinka.
The 28-year-old Gonzalez improved to a 38-13 match record on the season, highlighted by capturing his ninth and 10th titles at Vina del Mar (w/o vs. Monaco) and Munich (d. Bolelli) and clinching a Beijing Olympic Games silver medal (l. to Nadal). He enters on the back of two quarterfinal appearances in Beijing (l. to Phau) and Tokyo (l. to eventual champ Berdych).
The 2006 Vienna runner-up (l. to Ljubicic) now faces Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who defeated Filippo Volandri 6-2, 6-3.
German qualifier Philipp Petzschner converted seven of 14 break points to prevail 6-7(5), 6-2, 7-6(5) in 2 hr., 31 min. against Swiss top seed Wawrinka.
The 23-year-old Wawrinka was returning to Vienna for his fourth visit after finishing runner-up to Novak Djokovic last season. The 6’0’’ right-hander cracked the Top 10 of the South African Airways ATP Rankings in May after reaching his first ATP Masters Series final in Rome (l. to Djokovic) and stands at 37-18 for the season.
World No. 125 Petzschner was challenging a Top 10 player for just the second time and improved to a 1-1 record after losing to No. 10 Tommy Haas at the US Open last year. The 24-year-old is enjoying a spell of good form, having recently reached his maiden ATP quarterfinal at Bangkok (d. Safin, l. to Monfils). He was also a finalist at two events in Heilbronn and Belgrade on the ATP Challenger circuit at the start of the year. He goes on to face Jan Hernych for a place in the quarterfinals.
Elsewhere, Argentine Eduardo Schwank dented seventh seed Gilles Simon’s Tennis Masters Cup qualification hopes, defeating the Frenchman 4-6, 7-5, 7-6(5) to set up a second round meeting with Carlos Moya. A three-time titlist in 2008, Simon started the week at No. 12 in the ATP 2008 Race, 48 points down on No. 8 James Blake.
German Philipp Kohlschreiber and Czech Radek Stepanek both secured places in the second round. Auckland titlist Kohlschreiber converted four of seven break points in defeating Marc Gicquel 6-2, 6-2, while 2005 Vienna semifinalist Stepanek dismissed compatriot Pavel Snobel 6-4, 6-2.
Santiago Giraldo was a late replacement for Spanish No. 6 seed Tommy Robredo, who was forced to withdraw with a left hip injury, and the Columbian took full advantage of his opportunity, defeating Austrian wild card Stefan Koubek 6-1, 6-2 to set up a second round clash with Feliciano Lopez.