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Forget about the main stadium! The best action was on court one today, on another steamy scorcher of an afternoon in Toronto. The tennis was great, as fascinating duels featuring Martin-Johansson, Kafelnikov-El Aynaoui and Ríos-Moya kept the fans on our favourite court enthralled. And a little angry jawing between players never fails to spice up one?s day at the tournament: gamesmanship, cramping and Andy Roddick were once again mentioned in the same breath today.

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Todd Martin def. Thomas Johansson (9), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
2nd round
Court One
Previous head-to-head: Martin leads 4-0

This match kicked off the day?s play on Court One, which was filled to capacity with about 2,000 fans for this meeting of two well-known players. Todd Martin?s excellent serving and greater tactical variety made the difference, as he extended his career domination of Australian Open champion Johansson to 5 wins, 0 losses with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 decision.

The players competing in these 11:00 AM matches were fortunate. Skies were overcast at this time, and it was only in the later matches that the sun shone relentlessly and conditions became brutally hot. An on-court thermometer registered the temperature at 37 degrees in the mid-afternoon.

All games in the first set went to the server. Martin was particularly dominant, putting 78 percent of his serves in play in the set and banging down 9 aces, including one on the only break point the faced. In the tie-break Martin came back from a 3-1 deficit to finally triumph 7-5. ?I hit a couple of good shots when I needed to,? observed Todd about the tie-break.

With both players playing solid tennis, the tactical variety Martin possessed may have made the difference in this match. Martin, who was the crowd favourite, has the extra dimension of a net game, and would often come to the net behind his second serve returns.

The second set swung the American?s way at 4-3, when Johansson turned in a wobbly service game and was broken (the only break for either player in the match) after a string of loose backhand errors. With Martin now serving for the match at 5-3, Johansson dug in and hit a couple of classy winners to force a 0-40 situation. But big Todd served his way out of trouble, and got it back to deuce (although Johansson thought Martin?s ace at 30-40 was wide and placed the ball on the spot where he saw it land for the umpire to see). At deuce, Johansson floats a sliced backhand too long and wails angrily in Swedish, giving a match point to Martin? which he converts with an excellent crosscourt forehand winner.

Todd Martin had a great run at the Masters Series stop in Indian Wells in March, where he upset both Tommy Haas and Yevgeny Kafelnikov and reached the semifinals. The towering American may be getting the same feeling in Toronto this week. ?I feel good,? said the often-injured veteran who, amazingly enough, has been injury-free for the past year. ?I have played fairly well in both matches.? Martin?s next test will be the diminutive, cunning Fabrice Santoro, who edged lucky loser Kristian Pless in a third -set tie-break this afternoon.

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Yevgeny Kafelnikov (5) def. Younes El Aynaoui, 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-5
2nd round
Court One
Previous head-to-head: Kafelnikov leads 3-0

The Court One aficionados were next treated to a splendid confrontation between two excellent veterans. Kafelnikov, known as the iron man of the tour, is coming off an amazingly long break by his standards: three whole weeks, since Wimbledon, and appears determined to salvage an indifferent season. Moroccan El Aynaoui, at a venerable age 30, is having the best year of his career, his three titles just one less than Lleyton Hewitt?s tour-leading four.

Both men put on a fine show under the now hot sun. As usual, the bushy-haired Moroccan was blasting his potent serve and looking for opportunities to unleash his potent forehand. The Russian (pictured at right) played a more controlled style, shifting the patterns of the rallies constantly to search for openings, coming to the net at opportune moments, and attempting to draw errors from El Aynaoui?s suspect backhand side.

The first set stayed on serve throughout. Kafelnikov made the crucial error in the tie-break, double-faulting at 2-2: this was the only point of the tie-break that went against serve. Younes kept the advantage thanks to his booming serve, and cashed in his first set point with an ace.

Yevgeny picked up the tempo in the second set, aiming closer to the lines and rifling some of his trademark down-the-line backhand winners. In the ?critical seventh game?, after three deuces Kafelnikov fianlly forced a break point, which he won when one of El Aynaoui?s patented inside-out forehands found the net. ?Kafel? kept the advantage confidently, serving out the set at love to level the match.

At 2-2 in the third set, El Aynaoui found his service game in danger again. On the game?s second deuce, El Aynaoui approached the net and angled a forehand volley. Kafelnikov ran it down and pushed his reply down the line. The Moroccan made a desperate stab volley, but this brought him well out of position and Yevgeny tapped the ball into the open court. The demonstrative El Aynaoui angrily flung his racquet all the way to the back fence. On the ensuing break point El Aynaoui sent a backhand too long , and Kafelnikov had drawn first blood in the deciding set.

But the Russian threw in a shaky game at 4-3, double faulting twice, including at 30-40, and the set was even at 4-4. The Moroccan seemed inspired now, running down Kafelnikov?s best shots and delivering elaborate fist pumps to celebrate his winners. But at 5-5 things fell apart for Younes. A brilliant Kafelnikov backhand made it 15-40. El Aynaoui saved the first break point with an ace, but double faulted on the second. An angry Younes slammed the ball high and far out of the court -- it might have l anded in Lake Ontario!

With Kafelnikov serving for the match now, El Aynaoui made a last stand, putting Yevgeny in 15-30 danger with a booming forehand winner. But the Moroccan wasted a chance to do even more damage when he sent an eminently returnable second serve too long with his backhand. In a rather eccentric display of frustration, El Aynaoui banged his head three times against the wooden advertising signboard, drawing chuckles from the fans. Kafelnikov finished off the match in style with a service winner and an ace. The fans gave the weary warriors a huge ovation for a great match, and the players had a very warm accolade at the net. Make the final: 6-7 (4-7), 6-4, 7-5.

Kafelnikov will have his hands full in tomorrow?s third round match with Guillermo Cañas. The Argentine is in excellent form this week: he upset Roger Federer on Monday and had an easy 6-2, 6-1 win over qualifier Paradorn Srichaphan today.

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Marcelo Ríos def. Carlos Moyá, 7-5, 7-5
2nd round
Court One
Previous head-to-head: Ríos leads 4-2

We decided to ignore the featured evening match in the stadium (Pete Sampras?s three set win over Hyung-Taik Lee) in order to catch this potentially appetizing confrontation between two talented players, both of whom were short-term number ones in the late 1990s but were unseeded here this week.

Carlos Moyá appeared the more incisive player in the early stages of the match. His serve was potent and he was even striking a number of winners with his backhand, normally his weaker side. The Spaniard had four break points in game four and another two in game six, but Ríos came up with effective serves and solid play at the right time to save the day, much to the delight of his loyal band of flag-waving and chanting supporters.

Moyá was imperial in holding his serve, conceding only four points in his first five service games. Then, somewhat against the run of play, Moyá produced the dreaded sloppy game while serving at 5-5. In danger at 15-30, Moya approached the net but was passed with a skilful cross-court forehand by Ríos. At 15-40, a Moyá serve that appeared good was called out, and despite the Spaniard?s appeals umpire Norm Chryst refused to overrule. Seemingly flustered, Carlos gave the game away with a second serve that landed only halfway up the net. Moyá continued to argue the disputed service call during the changeover: ?You didn?t see it?? he asked Chryst in disbelief. Rios effectively served out the set at 15 to take a 7-5 lead.

Early in the second set it appeared the air was coming out of Moyá?s tires. Carlos has had a busy last month, winning two tournaments and reaching a semifinal in the three preceding weeks, and he was starting to show the fatigue, getting to balls late and losing speed off his serve. His opponent ?El Chino?, who had started the match slowly, was going in the opposite direction, picking up the pace, running Moyá relentlessly from side to side, and invariably striking winners when he found the opening. Moy á increasingly came to the net in order to shorten the points, but the brilliance of Marcelo?s passing shots neutralized this strategy.

The pressure applied by Ríos to his fading opponent finally paid off at 5-5. The net-rushing Moyá was foiled by the Chilean?s incisive counter-attacking game, watching balls whiz past him or dip at his feet, and it was quickly 0-40. Carlos saved one break point with a service winner, but on the second break point, after a long rally, he dumped a tired backhand into the net. Serving for the match, Ríos converted his first match point with a well placed serve that Moya returned long. Make the final: 7-5, 7-5, in favour of ?El Chino?. Marcelo?s cheering section went wild, and as he did on Monday, Ríos waved a thank you to his supporters before leaving the court.

So Ríos, who struggled miserably in recent weeks after returning from knee surgery, seems to have rediscovered his touch in Toronto. He is playing a nice, controlled game, limiting his errors and displaying his gifted shotmaking skills when given an opening. Particularly impressive is his serving: not overly powerful, but accurate and varied. His first serve percentage was a very high 77 percent today.

Next up in the third round for Ríos is the fearsome Marat Safin, who won here two years ago. The Russian colossus knocked out defending Canadian champion Andrei Pavel, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) today.

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Toronto Tidbits

Roddick cramps Lapentti?s style

Flashback to the 2001 French Open. The rising young American Andy Roddick was involved in a marathon second round match with Michael Chang. Roddick won, 7-5 in the fifth set, despite a bout of cramps that Roddick was criticized in some quarters for exaggerating flamboyantly.

It happened again today in Toronto. Roddick, called for the trainer at 4-5 to receive a massage for his cramps, and then went on to serve, limp, blast and grimace his way to a 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5) win over Ecuador?s Nicolás Lapentti. The key point of the deciding tie-break saw Lapentti play a drop shot with a 4-2 lead: Roddick made a limping, grunting and hopping run for it, and pushed a winning backhand down the line.

Lapentti was not happy with this sort of thing, and told Roddick so in no uncertain terms after the match. The two engaged in an unfriendly exchange of words that lasted perhaps a minute or two, and at one point they defiantly approached each other. The chit-chat was finally broken up by the intervention from ATP supervisor Gayle Bradshaw.

An hour after the match, Lapentti was still visibly livid with Roddick, accusing him of exaggerating the cramping to gain a mental edge. ?He?s playing with my mind,? shot Lapentti. Alluding to that Roddick-Chang match last year, he added, ?It?s not the first time he?s done it. When you have cramps you can?t go back and hit an overhead the way he did twice in one point, or run for a drop shot like he did.?

Roddick defended his actions, saying he was cramping in both calves, and tried to take the high road. ?I don?t want him to be mad at me,? said Andy, who said he was on cordial terms with Lapentti and is good friends with Nicolás?s younger brother Giovanni, whom Andy knows from their days on the junior circuit. Roddick?s version of the verbal confrontation was that Lapentti was complaining about Roddick?s decision to call the trainer at 5-4 of the third set. ?I was trying to do what I could to win the matc h within the rules. I?m glad I was able to fight through it.?

So do we call this a courageous fightback from severe cramps, or a victory marred by gamesmanship? We?ll probably never know for sure. We just hope we are never obliged to ask this question about Andy Roddick again.

Tim is tip top in Toronto

Tim Henman, at number four, is the highest seed left in the top half of the draw. Henman has been looking very sharp, and was crisp and efficient in his defeat of James Blake, by 6-3, 6-3, this afternoon.

Henman said after the match that he was far from pleased with his play at Wimbledon last month, despite reaching the semifinals. He blames it on the unusually slow conditions at Wimbledon this year. ?I don?t like slow, high bouncing courts,? said Henman. ?It?s as simple as that.? And he offered this surprising comment about the conditions in Toronto: ?With a court like this and the balls, it?s probably playing twice as fast as Wimbledon does, and it really suits my game.? Don?t tell this to Lleyton Hewi tt, who complained after his loss to Felix Mantilla on Monday that the conditions were too slow for him.

By the way, we noticed that the Masters Series website is touting the handsome James Blake as the ?Kournikova of the ATP?. Hopefully this appellation will not destroy the young American?s chances of ever winning a tournament.

Haas with a heavy heart and a new do

Tommy Haas, seeded third here, is almost unrecognizable with his new look. On centre court this morning the German star sported a Xavier Malisse-style ponytail. Haas has gone back to a more orthodox, collared shirt and discarded the baseball cap he had customarily worn back to front in the past.

Haas is playing his second tournament since missing Wimbledon because of shoulder problems that have dogged him this season. More to the point, Haas was was attending to his father and mother, seriously injured a motorcycle accident. ?They?ll never be as they were, but they?re still alive,? said Tommy yesterday.

Today he was up against a tricky second round opponent, 22nd-ranked Sjeng Schalken, and advanced to round three with a symmetrical 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win. Haas, who is a little surprised at how well he has played, admits he is ?still far, far away from where I want to be fitness-wise and confidence-wise.? Haas will lock horns with Pete Sampras tomorrow. ?I played with Pete last week at his house, and he seems pretty solid and motivated,? said Haas. ?All he really needs is a couple of matches for his confide nce to get back.?