• Tools:
• Save |
• Print |
• E-mail |
• Most Popular |

Haas crashes out in St Petersburg

Adjust font size:

ST PETERSBURG, Russia -- Fourth seed Tommy Haas became the latest high-profile casualty at the St Petersburg Open when the German lost 7-6 4-6 6-2 to wildcard Igor Kunitsyn in the second round on Thursday.

With the match evenly poised at 2-2 in the third set, the 128th-ranked Russian claimed the last four games to secure the biggest win of his career.

"I don't think I have ever beaten somebody who was once ranked number two in the world," said the 25-year-old after reaching the quarterfinals.

Haas, the world number two in May 2002, said. "Of course I'm disappointed but he played really well in the third set and deserved to win."

Third seed Mario Ancic advanced with a 6-3 6-4 triumph over unseeded Dutchman Raemon Sluiter.

The tall Croat, making his St Petersburg debut, broke Sluiter twice in the first set and once more in the second.

Holder Thomas Johansson of Sweden progressed when seventh-seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny withdrew from their match after injuring his ankle in a doubles encounter on Wednesday.

Johansson, who also won the title in 1997, will face South Africa's Wesley Moodie in the last eight.

Moodie also went through by default after top seed Nikolay Davydenko retired from Wednesday's second-round match with a foot injury.

Ancic is the only seed left after a rush of injuries decimated the $1 million tournament. "I don't feel any extra pressure," said the Croat after clinching a meeting with Max Mirnyi of Belarus, who beat Romanian Andrei Pavel 6-3 7-5.

"Your rankings don't play for you on the court. With so many upsets here you just can't take anything for granted," added the 22-year-old after keeping alive his slim hopes of securing a spot at the season-ending Masters Cup next month.

Ancic is 11th in the Champions Race with 349 points, 61 points behind eighth-placed Spaniard Tommy Robredo.

The top eight are guaranteed a place in Shanghai and Ancic will gain 38 points if he wins here.

Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more.

---

• Knox prosecutor: It's not over till it's over
• Is Paris Hilton plotting a comeback?
• 'New Moon' taping could land woman in prison
• Wrestler 'Umaga' Eddie Fatu dies at 36
• 5 detained over Russian nightclub fire

• Irish PM to quit over payments scandal
• NATO chief: Afghan troop increase likely
• Militants hunted as calm retuns to Basra
• Pressure on Bush to skip Olympics
• BA sending misplaced T5 baggage to Milan

• Recruiting suicide bombers (2:50)
• London was lucky (2:36)
• Cars in London rigged as bombs (3:48)
• Second explosives-packed car foun (2:32)
• Soviet culture returns (3:47)