Tipsarevic battles for first clay-court crown
Top seed David Ferrer won his fifth ATP World Tour title of the season yesterday after he beat his Spanish compatriot and second seed Nicolas Almagro 6-2, 6-2 in 68 minutes at the SkiStar Swedish Open.
“It has been the best season of my career, I have won five titles,” said Ferrer. “I have never done this well and I am very happy for that. I work hard, I always fight every match and every year I try and improve on my game.
Ferrer now leads Almagro 11-0 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, after the third all-Spanish final in Bastad (1975, 2007).
Ferrer, who dropped one set in four matches en route to his 16th ATP World Tour title (16-15 overall), earned €64,700 in prize money and 250 South African Airways ATP Ranking points. Almagro received a cheque for €34,080 and won 150 points.
In a battle between two former Bastad champions, 2007 titlist Ferrer took a 4-2 lead in the first set, then broke Almagro to 15 in the eighth game to clinch the opener after 31 minutes of play. Ferrer won 20 of his 29 service points against Almagro, the 2010 winner, in the second set.
The World No. 5 improved to a 51-9 match record on the season.
World No. 10 Almagro, who also lost to Ferrer the Copa Claro final in February, dropped to a 12-6 record in ATP World Tour finals and to a 43-14 match record in 2012.
“Last year I played really good tennis,” said Ferrer. “I am a better player than in 2007 when I won here. I work to improve my game. I don’t work to be in the Top 4. I work to be a better player and nothing else.
“I think the Top 4 are amazing players, and they are better than everyone else at this moment. I don’t think about the Top 4, I think about me and the Top 10.
“I got some good results on the grass courts and now I have won here in Bastad. Of course I have confidence (going into the London Olympics). I will have two days of relaxing and then next week I will practice on grass.”
Meanwhile, top-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia won his first title of the year by beating Juan Monaco of Argentina 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in a rain-delayed Mercedes Cup final yesterday.
Tipsarevic was the only top-10 player not to have won a tournament this year. The Serb is No. 8 in the world.
The second-seeded Monaco was seeking his third title of the year.
Tipsarevic surrendered a 4-1 lead in the second set after a brief rain delay and he also dropped his serve after a longer, 20-minute interruption in the third. He then won the next two games on Monaco’s serve to capture his first title on clay.
“I really still don’t believe I won the tournament,” Tipsarevic said. “But I kept fighting until the end.”
The Serb was in full control of the second set after winning seven straight games, wasting a break point that could have given him a 5-0 lead.
With the score 4-1 in his favor, Tipsarevic insisted on stopping play after a few drops of rain.
The players never left the court but when play resumed after a few minutes, Monaco was a different player. He won the next 12 of 13 points, including all eight on Tipsarevic’s serve.
The Argentine completed his comeback by breaking serve to win the second set on tiebreak.
Tipsarevic broke serve first in the third but another downpour sent the players to the locker room for 20 minutes, with the Serb down 30-0 on his serve.
When they returned, Tipsarevic again dropped his serve at love. He then broke back immediately, and took the match after Monaco sent a forehand into the net on Tipsarevic’s second match point.
Meanwhile, John Isner feels comfortable being back in the United States. He’s showing it by dominating his opponents.
Isner, the top seed and defending champ, advanced to the final at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships by beating Ryan Harrison, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3, on Saturday.
Isner, ranked 11th, faced Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt in the title match yesterday. Hewitt, a former world No. 1, defeated Rajeev Ram, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Isner is looking to become the first repeat champion on Newport’s grass courts since Fabrice Santoro in 2008.
The matches were held after Jennifer Capriati and four others were enshrined into the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Joining Capriati in a 90-minute ceremony were recently retired player Gustavo Kuerten, master player Manuel Orantes, industry executive Mike Davies, and wheelchair champion Randy Snow, who was honored posthumously.
Isner took control of his match by winning the first set tiebreak, improving his record to an ATP-best mark of 24-10 in tiebreaks this year. Similar to last year, he’s used his overpowering serve to take charge. So far in Newport this year, he’s held serve in 46 of 47 chances.
‘’It’s feeling very similar actually, eerily similar,’’ he said. ‘’Last year I wasn’t playing well and I came here and I desperately needed wins and confidence. This year I’m ranked a lot higher [than last year], but I didn’t play well in Europe - simple as that.’’
He realises his play improves with his return to America.
‘’I’m always most comfortable in the States. I really want to do well here,’’ said Isner, looking for his fourth ATP tour title. ‘’I’ve been focused since the first day I practiced.’’
He wrapped up the match with a forehand winner down the line.
Hewitt, coming off five surgeries in four years, entered ranked 233d and was looking to accumulate matches in his comeback bid before he represents Australia for the London Olympics.
‘’It’s about getting wins and putting yourself in position,’’ said Hewitt, looking for his 29th ATP title. ‘’I think more than anything it’s about self-belief and self-confidence.’’
Ram said it was special to face a two-time Grand Slam champion.
‘’I hope I’m still playing when he gets inducted into the Hall of Fame because that’s going to happen someday,’’ Ram said.
Capriati’s career - and her teenage life - took a number of twists and turns. She started as a teenage prodigy, was sidetracked with off-court troubles, rebounded to become a three-time Grand Slam champion, and now her journey is complete with her Hall induction.
In a tear-filled acceptance speech, the 36-year-old Capriati remembered her great moments in the game and touched on some of her troubles off the court.
Capriati was presented by 2009 Hall of Fame inductee Monica Seles.
‘’I still managed to overcome some adversity, win a gold medal, win some Grand Slams, and stand at the podium at the Hall of Fame,’’ said Capriati, breaking into tears during her speech. ‘’This is one milestone I thought I’d never achieve.’’
As a 14-year-old, she burst onto the scene fresh out of the eighth grade and reached the semifinals at her first Grand Slam event - the 1990 French Open.
Three years later, drug and other problems made a mess of her life and she temporarily dropped off the tour following the 1993 US Open.
Her downturn didn’t stop there. She was arrested that year for shoplifting at a Florida mall, and again the next year for marijuana possession. She also spent time in drug rehabilitation in 1994.
Serena Williams overpowered Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 6-2 in the Bank of the West Classic on Saturday to set up the first all-American WTA final on home soil in eight years.
Exactly a week after winning her fifth Wimbledon title, Williams cruised to another victory in 60 minutes. The quick work came despite Williams converting only 38 percent of her first serves.
She went for her second straight title at Stanford yesterday against lucky loser Coco Vandeweghe, who reached her first WTA Tour final with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory against Belgium’s Yanina Wickmayer.
The last all-American final at home on the WTA Tour came in 2004, when Lindsay Davenport topped Williams in Los Angeles.
“ Everybody’s always asking about American players,” Williams said. “Now we have a great player like Coco who’s doing well and she took her second chance to the ultimate degree.”
“I’m so glad she’s American. If she goes all the way and wins (Sunday), I would be really, really happy for her.”
Still jet-lagged from traveling more than 5,000 miles and eight time zones from the All England Club, Williams delivered her most impressive performance of the week.
The 14-time Grand Slam champion slammed serves and flicked forehands on every line, never needing to move much, turning the semifinal into an Olympic practice session.
After hitting 102 aces on her way to victory on Wimbledon’s grass, however, Williams had more double faults (four) than aces (three). Then again, her opponent had twice as many double faults (eight) as aces (four).
“I really wasn’t happy,” Williams said. “I did what was necessary to win. I did what I knew I needed to do, and I think that’s important.”