MMMM 2006 : 2006


Gonzalez powers past Paradorn again after six-year gap

Struggling Thai Paradorn Srichaphan lost his second match to Fernando Gonzalez six years after dropping his first in a 7-5, 6-7 (5-7), 6-4 exit in the second round of the Madrid Masters on Wednesday.


The 27-year-old must now rally in his final 2006 events in order to avoid a negative season finish after dropping to 27-30. He first lost to Gonzalez in Florida in 2000.

Paradorn, a semi-finalist over the past month in Beijing and at home in Bangkok, was unable to take the match by the throat, missing a chance to claim the early lead as he failed to serve out the opening set.

With Chile's tenth seed Gonzalez saving four set points to hold for 5-5, the tempo of the struggle was set.

Gonzalez, still chasing a possible place at next month's season-ending eight-player Masters Cup in China, won the dramatic tenth game after taking a medical timeout to have a shoulder treated.

Paradorn, ranked 57, managed to claim the second set but couldn't nose over the line in the third as Gonzalez won on his first match point.

Paradorn converted on only a fifth of his ten break pint chances, while striking 53 unforced errors and losing serve four times in 2 hours, 24 minutes.

Gonzalez played and lost his first final of the season against world number 3 Ivan Ljubicic at the weekend in Vienna.

American Robby Ginepri beat Croatian 12th seed Mario Ancic 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5) for a place in the third round, a result which put provisional tenth Ancic's Masters Cup campaign in danger.

American qualifier Mardy Fish was taking on Spanish title holder Rafael Nadal later, with local media reporting possible foot problems for the second seed.



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