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| Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain reacts after
losing a point against Kevin Kim of the US in the second round of the China Open tennis
in Beijing September 16,
2004. (Reuters) |
Juan Carlos Ferrero became the second major
casualty of the China Open on Thursday, the number two seed losing 6-4, 6-4 to American Kevin
Kim in the second round.
Fellow Spaniard Carlos Moya, the top seed in Beijing, went out to
French qualifier Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the first round on Wednesday.
Like Moya, Ferrero played as if his mind was already on this month's
Davis Cup semi-final against France, making a string of unforced errors against his 143rd-ranked
opponent.
"Some days you lose," shrugged the former world number one, who has
dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since May 2002 after an
injury-troubled year.
"I don't know about Moya but I wasn't thinking about the Davis Cup. I
had a lot of chances in the second set but I didn't make them and I lost
the match. It happens."
Russian Marat Safin reached the second round of the rain-hit tournament
with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over American Alex Bogomolov.
Third seed David Nalbandian finished his delayed match against Kristian
Pless of Denmark, the Argentine winning 7-6, 3-6, 6-3.
 Safin and Nalbandian are scheduled to play again later in the day
as organizers tried to clear a backlog of matches caused by two days of bad
weather.
Former world number one Safin, bidding to win his first title in two
years, was never seriously tested by Bogomolov.
The Russian fifth seed wrapped up a comfortable victory with an
exquisite drop shot after 71
minutes at Beijing Tennis Center, venue for the 2008 Olympic tournament.
Safin faces Chinese wildcard Lu Hao in the second round. Lu beat
Prakash Amritraj 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Nalbandian faces Lu Yen-hsun of Taiwan
later on Thursday.
Spain take on France in their Davis Cup semi-final in Alicante from
September 24 to 26.
(Agencies) | 
Updated: 2004-09-17 09:50