Tennis: Ivanisevic thanks rain and Stich for victory

7.45am

LONDON - Goran Ivanisevic thanked the miserable British weather and 1991 Wimbledon champion Michael Stich for his stunning comeback victory over Italy's Filippo Volandri at the grasscourt grand slam tennis tournament today.

"If the rain didn't come today, I probably would have lost," the 2001 winner, in his final tournament before retirement, said after his 4-6 7-6 1-6 6-3 6-4 victory.

"I went into the locker room and Michael Stich came to me and said 'listen, I'm commentating on the match. Come on man, do something'.

"And I said 'okay man, I didn't know you were commentating on my match, now I'm going to do something'.

"After I came back, that was a different me on court. Sun was shining, I started to play much better and that's why I won."

The Croatian, 32, had just gone down two sets to one when heavy showers forced the players off court for 20 minutes.

With Volandri in the driving seat before the disruption, Ivanisevic was heard constantly muttering to himself in frustration.

"I was saying a lot of bad things to myself, (like) how bad I am, how stupid I am, what am I doing you know," he said.

"I just wanted to get it out of my system. There was a little bit darkness in my brain. And then the rain arrived at the right time.

"Then I told myself, 'Man you don't lose the match today. It's not the match you're going to lose, so you better do something if you want to win'."

The Croatian is also hoping his mental strength will help him to overcome any stiffness he may feel on his problematic shoulder when he faces 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt, of Australia, in the third round.

"This week I don't want to have any pain," he said with a lopsided grin.

"In my mind, even when I have pain, I say to myself 'You don't have any pain, no pain today' and sometimes that can work."

Roger Federer pulverised Alejandro Falla in just 54 breathtaking minutes to reach the third round.

The Swiss top seed and champion allowed his Colombian opponent just 33 points in the match as he underlined his status as the man to beat with a 6-1 6-2 6-0 win.

"I had to play well today to beat him because he wasn't a player who was just going to give it to me," Federer said.

"Okay, the score is very easy, but he was playing well and I had to come up with some really good shots in the beginning to make the difference.

"After that, I really had a good start to every set, which was important. I was very consistent today. It was good."

Those considered best equipped to stop him also advanced but were no way nearly as impressive.

Second seed Andy Roddick reached the second round on centre court, beating Taiwan's Yeu-Tzuoo Wang 6-3 7-5 6-4 and seventh seed and 2002 champion Lleyton Hewitt beat Georgia's Irakli Labadze 6-4 6-4 6-1 to reach the third.

Hewitt will next play the man whose title he inherited, Goran Ivanisevic, after the Croatian pulled off a spectacular 4-6 7-6 1-6 6-3 6-4 comeback victory over Italy's Filippo Volandri.

Third seed Guillermo Coria needed only 97 seconds to reach the second round as the rain which washed out day three mostly stayed away.

The Argentine needed just two points for victory in his match with Wesley Moodie which had been carried over since Monday. He won them both to advance.

Results of men's singles matches today (prefix denotes seeding):

Second round:

Dmitry Tursunov (Russia) bt Sargis Sargsian (Armenia) 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 3-6 4-6 15-13

17-Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) 6-4 6-3 6-4

Jan-Michael Gambill (US) bt Daniele Bracciali (Italy) 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 6-2

Thomas Johansson (Sweden) bt Fabrice Santoro (France) 7-5 6-2 6-1

18-Feliciano Lopez (Spain) bt Cyril Saulnier (France) 3-6 6-3 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 8-6

6-Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) bt Stefan Koubek (Austria) 4-6 7-5 5-7 7-6 (8-6) 8-6

Goran Ivanisevic (Croatia) bt Filippo Volandri (Italy) 4-6 7-6 (10-8) 1-6 6-3 6-4

10-Sebastien Grosjean (France) bt Gregory Carraz (France) 6-1 6-2 6-2

Joachim Johansson (Sweden) bt 14-Mardy Fish (US) 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 6-4 6-4

7-Lleyton Hewitt (Australia) bt Irakli Labadze (Georgia) 6-4 6-4 6-1

9-Carlos Moya (Spain) bt Radek Stepanek (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 7-5

1-Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt Alejandro Falla (Colombia) 6-1 6-2 6-0

27-Robby Ginepri (US) bt Fernando Verdasco (Spain) 6-7 (3-7) 6-4 6-4 6-3

First round: Felix Mantilla (Spain) bt Kristian Pless (Denmark) 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-5 6-1

Igor Andreev (Russia) bt John Van Lottum (Netherlands) 2-6 6-2 6-0 6-3

Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark) bt Richard Gasquet (France) 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 7-6 (7-4) 6-7 (0-7) 6-4

Todd Martin (US) bt Guillermo Canas (Argentina) 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-1) 4-6 9-7

Greg Rusedski (Britain) bt Davide Sanguinetti (Italy) 7-5 4-6 6-2 6-2

Mario Ancic (Croatia) bt 33-Luis Horna (Peru) 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-3 6-4

21-Juan Ignacio Chela (Argentina) bt Lars Burgsmueller (Germany) 6-4 4-6 6-0 6-2

Julien Benneteau (France) bt Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) 6-3 7-5 6-4

2-Andy Roddick (US) bt Wang Yeu-Tzuoo (Taiwan) 6-3 7-5 6-4

Stefano Pescosolido (Italy) bt Dennis Van Scheppingen (Netherlands) 4-6 4-6 6-4 7-6 (7-5) 10-8

22-Andrei Pavel (Romania) bt Andy Ram (Israel) 6-3 7-5 7-6 (10-8)

24-Fernando Gonzalez (Chile) bt Martin Vassallo Arguello (Italy) 6-4 6-2 6-4

Karol Beck (Slovakia) bt Jonathan Marray (Britain) 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 4-6 6-3 10-8

Thomas Enqvist (Sweden) bt Galo Blanco (Spain) 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 7-6 (7-1)

8-Rainer Schuettler (Germany) bt Robin Soderling (Sweden) 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-5) 1-6 6-2

30-Vincent Spadea (US) bt Todd Reid (Australia) 6-2 6-4 6-2

25-Dominik Hrbaty (Slovakia) bt David Sanchez (Spain) 6-2 6-4 6-2

Tommy Haas (Germany) bt Antony Dupuis (France) 2-6 2-6 7-6 (10-8) 6-4 8-6

12-Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) bt Lee Childs (Britain) 6-2 6-1 6-3

Mark Hilton (Britain) bt Albert Costa (Spain) 6-1 6-4 6-3

3-Guillermo Coria (Argentina) bt Wesley Moodie (South Africa) 6-4 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 6-3

Alexander Popp (Germany) bt 15-Nicolas Massu (Chile) 6-2 6-4 6-4

David Ferrer (Spain) bt Victor Hanescu (Romania) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 6-7 (4-7) 7-5

20-Tommy Robredo (Spain) bt Potito Starace (Italy) 6-4 6-4 6-4

26-Taylor Dent (US) bt Ramon Delgado (Paraguay) 6-2 6-3 6-4.

- REUTERS