Mauresmo withdraws from Sydney International

Sydney, Australia (Sports Network) - Amelie Mauresmo withdrew from the Medibank International tennis event, a final Australian Open tune-up, with a left abductor strain.
Mauresmo is joined on the sidelines by China's Na Li, won triumphed at the Australian women's hardcourt Saturday in her first tournament back after a pesky rib injury. Li is out with a right knee injury.
Mauresmo won this tournament in 2000, and was a finalist in 2004.
Although injury news dominated the headlines here, first round play got underway with three matches. Austrian Sybille Bammer upended Russia's Nadia Petrova in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3, while the Czech Republic's Lucie Safarova edged Alicia Molik 7-6 (2), 7-6 (12-10) in a tight-knit affair.

Meanwhile, Virginie Razzano of France had an easy time of it with Austrian wild card Nicole Pratt, 6-2, 6-1.

The since-retired Kim Clijsters defeated Jelena Jankovic in last year's final here.

Robredo falls in Kitzbuhel quarters

Kitzbuhel, Austria (Sports Network) - Top-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo was upended by fifth-seeded Argentine Juan Monaco in Friday's quarterfinal action at the $1.085 million Austrian Open.
Monaco dismissed the world No. 7 Robredo in 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 fashion on the red clay at Casino Stadion. Monaco improved to 2-14 in his career against top-10 competition.
Meanwhile, sixth-seeded and defending champion Agustin Calleri avoided an upset by handling 2001 Kitzbuhel titlist Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador 7-6 (7-5), 6-1. Lapentti was the 15th seed this week.
Calleri beat Juan Ignacio Chela in last year's all-Argentine finale here.
In other round-of-eight play, 10th-seeded Potito Starace overcame fellow Italian Andreas Seppi 1-6, 7-5, 7-6 (9-7) and 11th-seeded Spaniard Fernando Verdasco held off Argentine Sergio Roitman 7-6 (8-6), 3-6, 6-3. Verdasco reached the Kitzbuhel final in 2005, while Seppi was a finalist in Gstaad just two weeks ago.
Saturday's semifinals will pit Calleri against Starace and Monaco versus Verdasco. Wins by Calleri and Monaco would produce an all-Argentine finale on Sunday.

Robredo, Calleri win; Youzhny, Ferrero fall in Kitzbuhel

Kitzbuhel, Austria (Sports Network) - Top-seeded Spaniard Tommy Robredo and reigning champion Agustin Calleri notched second-round wins, while second- seeded Russian Mikhail Youzhny and third-seeded Spaniard Juan Carlos Ferrero came up losers at $1.085 million Austrian Open.
Robredo handled Argentine Juan-Pablo Guzman 6-1, 6-4, while a sixth-seeded Calleri topped Austrian qualifier Rainer Eitzinger 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) on the red clay at Casino Stadion. Calleri beat Juan Ignacio Chela in last year's all- Argentine finale here.
A fourth-seeded Chela snuck past Austrian wild card Daniel Koellerer 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Day 3.
Meanwhile, Youzhny succumbed to Austrian crowd favorite Alexander Peya 7-5, 6-0, while the former world No. 1 and 2002 Kitzbuhel runner-up Ferrero gave way to improving Italian Andreas Seppi 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 6-2. Seppi was a runner-up in Gstaad earlier this month.
Fifth-seeded Argentine Juan Monaco moved on by outlasting his countryman Mariano Zabaleta 6-1, 2-6, 6-3.
Seventh-seeded Spaniard Nicolas Almagro reached the third round by besting his countryman Ivan Navarro Pastor 7-5, 6-3, while eighth-seeded German Florian Mayer mauled Argentine Martin Vassallo Arguello 6-1, 6-3. Almagro reached a final in Sweden just two weeks ago.
In other second-round play involving top-10 seeds, No. 9 German Philipp Kohlschreiber doused Chilean Paul Capdeville 6-4, 6-1 and No. 10 Italian Potito Starace stopped Belgian qualifier Christophe Rochus 6-2, 6-2.
Other seeded second-round winners were No. 11 Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, No. 14 Russian Igor Andreev and No. 15 Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador. Lapentti titled here back in 2001, while Verdasco was a finalist in 2005.
More upsets came when Argentine Diego Hartfield overcame 12th-seeded Spaniard Oscar Hernandez 5-7, 6-0, 6-3, Argentine Sergio Roitman knocked out 13th- seeded Chilean Nicolas Massu 7-5, 6-2 and Italian qualifier Fabio Fognini came back to bounce No. 16 Austrian Werner Eschauer, last week's runner-up at the Dutch Open. Fognini saved a match point here on Day 3. Massu titled here in 2004 and was the runner-up in 2003.
The first round concluded early on Wednesday, with victories coming for Guzman, Zabaleta, Roitman, Vassallo Arguello and French qualifier Laurent Recouderc.