Hrbaty Beats Soderling for Tour-leading Third 2004 Title at ATP Marseille
Posted on March 2, 2004
Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty won his tour-leading third title of the year Sunday indoors at Marseille, coming back from a set down to beat red-hot Swede Robin Soderling 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the all-unseeded Open 13 final. Hrbaty kept Soderling, who reached his first ATP final last year in Stockholm, down with an 0-2 career record in finals."I won because of my experience today," The Dominator said. "I've played more finals than Robin, I think that made the difference. Robin is very young and will have many more chances to win titles in the future." In the doubles final, (1)Mark Knowles/Daniel Nestor beat nemesis Czechs (2)Martin Damm/Cyril Suk 7-5, 6-3. "Martin and Cyril have been pretty tough on us the last few years so it's nice to get a win against them," Nestor said. "We hadn't beaten them in a while."
In the rain-delayed final at Costa do Sauipe Sunday, former No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten won his first claycourt title in over two years with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Argentine Agustin Calleri. "It has been the week of confirmation for me," said a relieved Guga after the final. "I have been a fighter on court and gave more than 100% on court with all my heart on every point. There were three different moments. Calleri played unbelievable during the first set. When the second set started I changed strategy and after the two-all in the second I managed to break him and Calleri lost focus with the rain, the umpire and the crowd. But it was impossible to play after that due to the rain. Today I entered the court knowing exactly what I had to do and I think I played a great final." In the all-ugly doubles final Saturday, Poles Mariusz Fyrstenberg/Marcin Matkowski d. Tomas Behrend/Leo Friedl 6-2, 6-2 for their second career title after Sopot last year.
How about a rematch of this year's Australian Open final in the first round this week at Dubai? That's the result when world No. 1 Roger Federer was drawn against wildcard entry Marat Safin. The other seeds this week at the Oil Open include eight of the Top 15 in Guillermo "El Mago" Coria, Rainer "No Houston This Year" Schuettler, David Nalbandian back from injury, Mark "Pride of Australia" Philippoussis, Tim-bledon Henman, Paradorn "The Thai Fighter" Srichaphan, and Sjeng Schalken. Other tough first-rounders include (4)Nalbandian vs. Fin basher Jarkko Nieminen, (7)Srichaphan vs. Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty, Max "The Beast" Mirnyi vs. Rafael "The Prodigy" Nadal, and (2)El Mago vs. Mikhail Youzhny, who is still stinging from dumping Russia's Davis Cup hopes against Belarus. Former champs in the field are Federer (2003) and Fabrice Santoro (2002).
On court Monday in Dubai are Carraz vs. (WC)Bahrouzyan, (Q)Kohlschreiber vs. (3)Schuettler in an all-German, (Q)Zib vs. (6)Henman, (5)Philippoussis vs. O.Rochus, (Q)Dell'acqua vs. Ljubicic, Pavel vs. Ulihrach, and (WC)Al-Ghareeb vs. (Q)Van Scheppingen.
Four-time champ Andre Agassi pulled (injured hip) from his commitment at the "Franklin Templeton Tennis Classic presented by Business Objects (nice sponsor title) in Scottsdale this week, leaving your typical "Andy + the "B"-squad Americans" field in seeds Roddick, Martin "Berkerk" Verkerk, Robby Ginepri, Vince Spadea, Taylor Dent, James Blake, Nicolas Kiefer, and Wayne Ferreira. There are few early matches of interest, but if you're really digging you could try (4)Spadea vs. Thomas Johansson, or an all-veteran-about-to-retire match-up in Alex Corretja vs. Wayne Arthurs. (1)Roddick vs. (5)Dent is a potential quarterfinal, and (3)Ginepri has a smooth path in the bottom half of the draw. Other unseeded floaters in the draw are former champ Jan-Michael Gambill, Croatians Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic and "Dr." Ivo Karlovic, and Swede Robin Soderling who raised the roof last week in Marseille with a runner-up effort. Last year's Scottsdale final was an all-Aussie affair when top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt took out countryman Mark Philippoussis 6-4, 6-4. Hewitt is sitting this week out, while Flipper took the cash appearance in Dubai. Former champs in the draw this year are Gambill (1999) and Ferreira (1996), ouch. Hopefully the A-Rod personality can carry this event across the finish line.
Today in Scottsdale features "Dr." Ivo Karlovic vs. Tursunov, (7)Kiefer vs. Vahaly, Burgsmuller vs. (5)Dent, Andreev vs. Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic, No. 967-ranked American (WC)B.Evans vs. Gambill, and Moodie vs. Dupuis.
The Spaniards and Argentines are out in force on the dirt this week at Acapulco, featuring top seeds Carlos Moya, Nicolas Massu, Agust�Calleri, Mariano Zabaleta, Felix Mantilla, Gaston Gaudio, Juan Ignacio Chela, and Filippo Volandri. Unseeded players to watch are David Sanchez (facing countryman (1)Moya in his opener), French teen Richard Gasquet, Luis "Me So" Horna, Guillermo Canas, and the Lapentti brothers in Nicolas and Giovanni (hide your daughters). Returning champs in the field are Calleri (2003) and Moya (2002). Monday's matches on the dirt in Acapulo are C.Rochus vs. Gasquet, (WC)O.Hernandez (of Mexico) vs. (2)Massu, Montanes vs. (7)Chela, Levy vs. Koubek, and (Q)D.Norman vs. O.Hernandez (of Spain).
WTA REVIEW/PREVIEW
In the Saturday Dubai final, Justine Henin-Hardenne beat unseeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 7-6(3), 6-3 for her third title on the year. In the doubles final, the Slovak/Spanish pair of (4)Husarova/Martinez beat Russians (2)Kuznetsova/Likhovtseva 6-0, 1-6, 6-3.
In Sunday's Bogota final, top-seeded Fabiola "The Fabulous One" Zuluaga won her third straight Bogota title, defeating No. 2 seed Maria Sanchez Lorenzo 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. The Bogota resident has now won three consecutive and four overall titles at the event. In the Saturday doubles final, the Austrian/German pair of Barabara "Use the" Schwartz and Jasmin Woehr beat Spaniards Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues and Arantxa "Not That Arantxa" Parra 6-1, 6-3 for their first title as a team.
Four of the Top 10 post this week for the Qatar Total Open (Total, like the breakfast cereal, or is that a gas station?) in Doha, with seeds Justine Henin-Hardenne, Jennifer Capriati, Anastasia Myskina, Ai Sugiyama, Silvia Farina Elia, Jelena Dokic, Conchita Martinez, and Magui "Don't Call Me Maggie" Serna. The top four seeds receive first round byes, so the opening round features a slew of yawners, save for the Aussie riser Alicia Molik vs. American Meghann Shaughnessy, and (6)Dokic against the Aussie vet Nicole Pratt, who is already on the board with a title in 2004. In last year's final, (2)Myskina d. (5)Elena Likhovtseva 6-3, 6-1 in an all-Russian contest. On court today in Doha are Testud vs. Serna, and Mandula vs. Kostanic, otherwise known as 'refund day.'
A struggling field this week on the dirt at Acapulco features seeds Amanda Coetzer, Shinobu Asagoe, Maria Sanchez Lorenzo, Emilie Loit, Marion Bartoli, Emmanuelle "I Just Got Double Bageled" Gagliardi, Arantxa Parra, and Ludmila Cervanova. Not a lot of excitement here. On court Monday are Rodionova vs. Stosur, Marrero vs. Leon Garcia, Grande vs. Bartoli, Benesova vs. Blahotova, Pennetta vs. Reeves, Garcia Sokol vs. Roesch, and Schruff vs. Washington.
ATP ACAPULCO MULTIPLE WINNERS
4--Thomas Muster, AUT (1993-96)
2--Gustavo Kuerten, BRA (2000-01)
2--Don Johnson/Gustavo Kuerten, USA/BRA (2000-01)
ATP TOP 10 IN ACTION THIS WEEK
1. Roger Federer (SUI) -- Dubai
2. Juan Carlos Ferrero (ESP) -- not playing
3. Andy Roddick (USA) -- Scottsdale
4. Guillermo Coria -- Dubai
5. Andre Agassi (USA) -- not playing
6. Rainer Schuettler (GER) -- Dubai
7. Carlos Moya (ESP) -- not playing
8. David Nalbandian (ARG) -- Dubai
9. Lleyton Hewitt (AUS) -- not playing
10. Mark Philippoussis (AUS) -- Dubai
2004 SINGLES TITLE LEADERS
(through Feb. 29)
3--Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL)
3--Dominik Hrbaty (SVK)
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2--Kim Clijsters (BEL)
2--Lleyton Hewitt (AUS)
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1--Guillermo Coria (ARG)
1--Eleni Daniilidou (GRE)
1--Lindsay Davenport (USA)
1--Anthony Dupuis (FRA)
1--Nicolas Escude (FRA)
1--Roger Federer (SUI)
1--Amy Frazier (USA)
1--Fernando Gonzalez (CHI)
1--Joachim Johansson (SWE)
1--Gustavo Kuerten (BRA)
1--Carlos Moya (ESP)
1--Nicole Pratt (AUS)
1--Andy Roddick (USA)
1--Paola Suarez (ARG)
1--Ai Sugiyama (JPN)
1--Fabiola Zuluaga
1--Vera Zvonareva (RUS)
2004 DOUBLES TITLE LEADERS
(through Feb. 29)
2--Cara Black/Renee Stubbs (ZIM/AUS)
2--Bob Bryan/Mike Bryan (USA)
NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
This week Roger Federer will attempt to become the first player to ever win the Dubai title twice (since 1993)...The WTA Doha website says "See official ATP site for more Information on Testud, Sandrine," which would be a surprise for the ATP communications staff...Gustavo Kuerten is 20-9 in career finals and 14-4 in finals on clay...Qualifiers at the ATP Scottsdale were Yves Allegro (SUI), Gustavo Marcaccio (ARG), Cecil Mamiit (USA), and Tripp Phillips (USA)...The ATP today announced the formation of an ATP Task Force on Supplements to develop short- and long-term solutions designed to help players manage the risks associated with taking vitamins, minerals and nutritional supplements.