Tarango upsets Spadea in Kremlin Cup

Jeff Tarango of the United States upset his second-seeded countryman Vincent Spadea 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 in the in the first day of play in the $1 million Kremlin Cup tournament in Moscow today.

Jeff Tarango of the United States upset his second-seeded countryman Vincent Spadea 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 in the in the first day of play in the $1 million Kremlin Cup tournament in Moscow today.

The 31-year-old Tarango took a 3-1 lead early in the first set but in the ninth game at 40-30 he double-faulted and then sent two forehands into the net to lose the game, angering him so much that he smashed his racket.

"I didn't like the racket any more, it wasn't much my friend," Tarango told reporters.

He then won the first set on a tiebreaker and had little trouble in the second one, which he closed with a crowd-pleasing ace.

Tarango, a doubles specialist, is a defending doubles champion.

Jan Kroslak of Slovakia struggled through to beat Jan Siemerink of the Netherlands 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3).

American Justin Gimelstob stopped the Russian veteran Andrei Cherkasov, a wild-card for the tournament, 6-3, 6-3.

The Kremlin Cup tournament, in its 10th year, will see only one player from the top 20: defending champion Kafelnikov, No 2 in the world. Nicolas Kiefer of Germany, currently ranked seventh on the ATP tour, pulled out on a foot injury he sustained in Stuttgart two week ago.

Both have already qualified for the ATP Tour Championship in Hannover on 23 November.

In doubles, Petr Pala and Pavel Vizner of the Czech Republic defeated Mark Knowles of the Bahamas and Canada's Daniel Nestor when Nestor retired because of a shoulder injury with the first set tied 5-5.

The tournament is being played on Supreme, a carpeted surface with a polyurethane coating. The winner will get $137,000.

First Round Results (Seedings in brackets):

Andrei Pavel, Romania, beat Igor Kunitcin, Russia, 6-2, 6-2.

Daniel Vacek, Czech Republic, beat Michail Youzhny, Russia, 6-1, 6-4.

Jeff Tarango, United States, beat Vincent Spadea (2), United States, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.

Jan Kroslak, Slovakia, beat Jan Siemerink, Netherlands, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-3).

Justin Gimelstob, United States, beat Andrei Cherkasov, Russia, 6-3, 6-3.

Doubles

First Round Doubles:

Petr Pala and Pavel Vizner, Czech Republic, beat Mark Knowles, Bahama Islands, and Daniel Nestor, Canada, 5-5, ret.