Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
February 21, 2005

VOLTCHKOV SENDS SARGSIAN CRASHING

Alaric Gomes, Staff Reporter

–>Belarussian Vladimir Voltchkov sent top seed Sargis Sargsian
tumbling from the qualifiers for the main draw of the Dubai Duty Free
Men’s Open yesterday.

Voltchkov beat the Armenian in three sets 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 to make his
second main draw entry in this tournament.

Sargsian took the first set in the tie-breaker 7-6. But Voltchkov
came back to win the second set tie-breaker and force the game into a
decider.

The Belarussian was leading 3-1 and 5-3 in the second set tie-break.
But Sargsian drew level. “But I couldn’t do more than that,” Sargsian
said later.

With fatigue setting in, Sargsian found the going tough as he became
more prone to unforced errors.

Also advancing to the main draw was Ivo Minar with a swift 6-2, 6-4
win against Igor Kunitsyn. Minar will face top seed Roger Federer in
the opening round.

Results: Ivo Minar bt Igor Kunitsyn 6-2, 6-4; Jean-Rene Lisnard bt
Andreas Seppi 7-5, 3-6, 6-4; Vladimir Voltchkov bt Sargis Sargsian
6-7, 7-6, 6-2; Marco Chiudinelli bt Bohdan Ulihrach 6-3, 6-4.