Max power sinks Kuerten

Kuerten slipped to yet another early defeat

World number one Gustavo Kuerten wasted two match points on his way to a three-set defeat by Belarussian qualifier Max Mirnyi in the second round of the Stuttgart Masters.

It was the third time in as many tournaments that the Brazilian had lost his opening match.

In contrast, US Open champion Lleyton Hewitt beat Bohdan Ulihrach in three sets to extend his winning streak to 15 matches.

Hewitt lies 78 points behind Kuerten in the Champions Race and will overtake the Brazilian if he wins the tournament.

Mirnyi had to stave off three break points in the final game against Kuerten, before serving two consecutive aces to win 4-6 7-6 (8/6) 6-4.

Mirnyi has a good record against Kuerten

"I feel very lucky, considering that I had two match points against me also in the qualifying," Mirnyi said.

Kuerten, who blew two match points in the second-set tiebreak, also lost his opening matches in recent tournaments in Brazil and France.

"It's very frustrating because I had my chances, and because I am losing in early rounds, I'm not playing as much as I'd like," Kuerten said.

Mirnyi beat Kuerten during the spring at the Hamburg Masters and squandered a two-set lead before losing in five sets to Kuerten in the third round of the US Open.

Escape clause

Hewitt, who was runner-up in Stuttgart last year, came back from losing the first set to beat Ulihrach 3-6 6-3 6-4.

The Australian said: "I've got that winning feeling at the moment.

"It doesn't really matter what situation I'm in, I don't press the panic button.

"That just comes with experience, that self-belief. I believe I'm able to get out of those kind of matches."