Martin’s Victory Is Also a Boost for U.S. Hopes

It was a good day for U.S. Davis Cup fans in the Newsweek Champions Cup tennis tournament Thursday. And heaven knows, they need one.

Todd Martin, the top U.S. player willing to play for the Davis Cup, ousted defending champion Marcelo Rios of Chile on the Clubhouse Court in front of a partisan packed house that included Davis Cup captain Tom Gullikson.

The scores were, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, and Martin, up to No. 11 in the rankings and seeded 11th here, was impressive in winning against the faster, creative shot-making Rios.

The United States lost badly to Italy in last year’s Davis Cup semifinals in Milwaukee and will take a team without No. 1 Pete Sampras and No. 9 Andre Agassi, neither of whom is willing to play, to England in this year’s first round in early April. England will field a team of Tim Henman and Greg Rusedski, both ranked higher than Martin and his probable singles teammate, Jim Courier.

Martin’s win put him in the quarterfinals against Mark Philippoussis of Australia, a 6-4, 6-3 winner over Marat Safin of Russia. The other quarterfinal in the top bracket matches Henman and comeback kid Chris Woodruff, the former top-30 player from Tennessee, who missed nearly all of last year because of an injured knee that needed surgery after he mis-kicked a football playing with friends on a day off. Woodruff took out Felix Mantilla of Spain, 7-5, 7-5.

Mantilla had eliminated Sampras on Wednesday night.

In the bottom bracket, former Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek beat fellow Dutchman Jan Siemerink, 6-4, 6-4, and will play former French Open champion Gustavo Kuerten of Brazil, who defeated a third Dutchman, Sjeng Schalken, 6-2, 6-3. Karol Kucera of Slovakia beat Nicolas Kiefer of Germany, 6-4, 3-6. 6-3, and will play Carlos Moya of Spain, the highest remaining seeded player at No. 4 and the only player left here with a chance to pass Pete Sampras at No. 1.

If Moya beats Kucera in the quarterfinals and also wins his semifinal match, he will become the 15th male player to hold the top ranking, and the first-ever Spaniard.

Today’s Featured Matches

STADIUM COURT, STARTING AT 10 A.M.

* Richard Krajicek, Netherlands (8) vs. Gustavo Kuerten, Brazil.

* Sandrine Testud, France (12) vs. Serena Williams.

* Chris Woodruff vs. Tim Henman, England (7).

* Karol Kucera, Slovakia (12) vs. Carlos Moya, Spain (4).

STADIUM COURT, 6:30 P.M.

* Mark Philippoussis, Australia vs. Todd Martin (11).