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  • #12 seed Fernando Gonzalez continues Chilean medal repeat hopes

    8/12/08 7:21 PM | Jonathan Morgan
    #12 seed Fernando Gonzalez continues Chilean medal repeat hopes With Nico Massu losing, Gonzalez remains the only hope for another Chilean gold medal.

    Fernando Gonzalez had a potentially tough 2nd round match with young Croat Marin Cilic, who has been on an escalator up the rankings this year. Perhaps the occasion got to the youngster, as he did not play as well as he could have. Gonzalez looked solid as he took a routine 6-4, 6-2 win, firing his trademark forehand all over the court, but Cilic was making far too many errors. His serve was not as imposing as it usually is and Gonzalez took advantage of that. The fast courts in Beijing helps the Chilean's hard flat forehand blast through the court with ease. Gonzalez's draw looks favorable and could easily make the semis.

    Other winners on the day include the German Nicolas Kiefer, who had a marathon match against the big South African Kevin Anderson. A 3 hour 20 minute match left the German tired at the conclusion of the match. He twice needed treatment in the match to deal with the heat as he struggled mightily with it. He also talked about pain in his left hip after the match. He then had to play a 2 hour doubles match against the Austrian team of Melzer/Knowle, which he eventually lost.

    5'5'' Olivier Rochus defeated Serbian Janko Tipsarevic, winning the first set in a tight tiebreak before Janko retired halfway through the second. Tipsarevic had a 5-3 lead in the first set but could not finish it. In the second, he had to retire with a right ankle injury, arriving at the press conference in a wheelchair. Tipsarevic had this injury back in Cincinnati, and aggravated again in this match before having to retire. Rochus will play Gonzalez in the next round.

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