Huss-Moodie Dent Bjorkman-Mirnyi's Hopes
Black-Ullyett in Shanghai action. Wimbledon champions Stephen Huss and Wesley Moodie made a winning start to their Tennis Masters Cup campaign after upsetting second seeds Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi 6-2, 6-4 in their opening Gold Group match.
Huss and Moodie, the No. 8 seeds, took just 1 hour, 11 minutes to make their Shanghai debut a winning one, denting Bjorkman and Mirnyi's hopes of finishing the year as the No. 1 doubles team.
Bjorkman and Mirnyi had a chance to cut into the 86-point lead held at the top of the ATP Doubles Race by top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan, who lost their opening match in the Red Group on Monday to Wayne Arthurs and Paul Hanley. However, Huss and Moodie repeated their Wimbledon semifinal victory over their opponents to move top of the group.
Earlier in the day, Zimbabwean duo Wayne Black and Kevin Ullyett also won their opening match, defeating sixth seeded French team Michael Llodra and Fabrice Santoro.
Black and Ullyett, the Australian Open champions who finished as runners-up in the 2004 Tennis Masters Cup in Houston, recovered from the loss of the first set to come through 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in 2 hours, 11 minutes.
And Ullyett says they are enjoying their Shanghai experience. "The doubles is promoted so well here I think," said Ullyett. "There's posters everywhere ? in the elevators in the hotel, on the streets…The people had a heads?up; they knew we were coming."
Black added: "It's great to be playing here. I mean, it's great to get this recognition. The fans are unbelievable. We don't travel to too many places where we're recognized like this and we get this much support."
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