DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Reigning Wimbledon
champion Goran Ivanisevic made an early exit from the Dubai
Tennis Championships on Monday.
Ianisevic, the seventh seed, fell to Germany's Nicolas Kiefer,
6-3, 6-4. The Croatian had been 3-0 all-time against Kiefer.
Second seed Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia had no trouble on
Monday, posting a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Greece's Vasilis
Mazarakis in the first meeting between the players.
Eighth seed Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic cruised into the
second round with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Dominik Hrbaty.
In matches involving unseeded players, Morocco's Younes El
Aynaoui ousted Romania's Andrei Pavel, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4; Germany's
Axel Pretzsch dispatched Julien Boutter, 6-4, 6-4; and France's
Fabrice Santoro got past German qualifier Michael Kohlmann, 7-6
(7-0), 3-6, 6-4.
Defending champion Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain is the top seed
seed. Ferrero claimed the title last year when Russia's Marat
Safin retired with a back injury.
Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson of Sweden is the third
seed, followed by France's Sebastian Grosjean, Britain's Tim
Henman and Switzerland's Roger Federer.
