Myskina-Dementieva to Re-Live French Final, Rusedski Rides to Moscow Final

Posted on October 17, 2004

Myskina to Defend Moscow Title in Roland Garros Final Rematch

Anastasia Myskina, entering the WTA Moscow semifinals with an 0-4 career record versus Lindsay Davenport, got over the hump Saturday with a 6-4, 7-6(1) victory against the new No. 1-ranked American.

"I wanted to keep the points short today as I wasn't feeling well," Davenport said. "I made too many errors at the wrong time as I had to go for the big shots because I knew I couldn't stay very long on the court today. I had a hard time with my chest and with my head. I wasn't 100 percent ready for the game today."

Myskina had also been fighting a virus making the rounds during the week in Moscow.

"We both were feeling sick, fortunately for me I think Lindsay just getting this virus while I was already on my way to recovery," said Myskina, the dead-ringer for rocker Marilyn Manson. "I was a bit nervous at the start and that's why I was arguing with the umpire all the time. I know probably I shouldn't have done that because umpires almost never change their minds."

In the final Myskina will face Russian countrywoman Elena Dementieva in a rematch of this year's Roland Garros final. Dementieva beat fellow Russian Elena "Lena" Bovina 6-4, 7-5, and will bring a 1-3 record in finals this year into the Moscow championship match.

"I think Elena has improved her game for sure," Myskina said on facing her friend in the final. "She reached the US Open final and then won a tournament in Belgium last month, so she is definitely on a roll."

The doubles final will be (1) Virginia Ruano Pascual/Paola Suarez vs. (4) Myskina/Vera "The Crying Game" Zvonareva.

WTA Tashkent Update: Due to the WTA Tour's misguided policy of running Tier IV and V events during the same week as their top-level Tier I events, thereby confusing fans and media, Tennis-X is boycotting the results this week from the Tier IV Tashkent event while the Tier I Moscow event is being contested. Like the ATP, who run their Masters Series events uncontested, we hope the WTA will eventually make a calendar change to highlight their top-level events. Nothing personal against the Tashkent competitors. We apologize for any inconvenience. Results from Tashkent can be found at www.wtatour.com.

Haas Stopped at ATP Vienna, Canas, Lopez in Final

Tommy Haas, unseeded this week at Vienna, saw his opportunity for a third title on the year pass Saturday when he was eliminated in the semifinals by No. 6 seed Guillermo Canas 6-4, 6-3.

Haas, in his first full year of play after a difficult comeback from shoulder surgery, has won two titles in 2004, on clay at Houston (d. Roddick) and on the hardcourts at Los Angeles (d. Agassi, Kiefer).

"Today my return was excellent," said Canas, who is 22-2 since July on clay, outdoor hardcourt, and indoors. "That was a very important part of my game today because Tommy has a very good serve. I started to return well from the first game and that gave me a lot of confidence."

Canas, who will be seeking his fourth title of the year after dirt championships at Stuttgart (d. Gaudio) and Umag (d. Volandri), and a hardcourt win at Shanghai (d. Burgsmuller), will face No. 8 seed Feliciano "F-Lo" Lopez who beat the unseeded Italian Davide Sanguinetti 6-3, 6-3.

The Spaniard F-Lo is seeking his first win of the year, in March losing in three sets to Roger Federer on hardcourts in Dubai.

"They always ask you if you are ready for your first ATP title and I think I am," F-Lo said. "It will be difficult tomorrow, and even more because we play best of five sets. Willy (Canas) is playing very good and I have to keep up my level all the time tomorrow."

F-Lo won their only previous meeting at Wimbledon in 2002, 10-8 in the fifth set.

The doubles final will be Argentines (3) Etlis/Rodriguez vs. unseeded Czechs Damm/Suk.

Underdogs Gasquet, Haehnel Face Off in ATP Metz Final

French fans will enjoy two of their own in the ATP Metz final Sunday, albeit two players whose rankings were not high enough to gain them direct entry to the main draw at the beginning of the week.

18-year-old wildcard Richard Gasquet gained the final Saturday with a 6-1, 6-4 win over unseeded American Jeff "Baby Krajicek" Morrison, while qualifier Jerome Haehnel edged another unseeded Frenchman in Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-7(5), 7-6(4), 7-6(1) to reach his career-first ATP final.

"I played a perfect match," Gasquet said. "To reach your first final is an important moment. You always dream of winning a trophy, but I've played lots of finals in the junior ranks and I think I will tackle it calmly. Since the start of the week, I've been impressed by Jerome's game as he has unusual shots. But I think I have the game to upset him."

The 24-year-old Haehnel has competed primarily on the Futures and Challengers circuits this year, going 0-2 in Futures finals and 0-1 in Challenger finals. Haehnel became a brief blip on the international radar last May when he defeated an under-prepared Andre Agassi in the first round at Roland Garros, losing in the second round to countryman Michael Llodra.

"I can't believe it," said Haehnel, who plays only in Europe because he is afraid of flying. "In terms of emotion, it's close to my victory over Agassi."

Gasquet has had a difficult go of it this year, losing 13 out of 16 tour-level events in the second round or earlier coming into Metz, and in the last couple months dropping down to Challenger-level events in an attempt to garner some points.

Haehnel won his only previous meeting with Gasquet in 2001 at the France F20 Futures event.

The doubles final will be Ljubicic/Vico vs. Frenchmen (2) Clement/Mahut.

Rusedski Rolls to ATP Moscow Final Against Russian Davydenko

Brit Greg Rusedski upset No. 3 seed Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty 6-4, 6-3 Saturday to reach his second final of the year at the ATP stop in Moscow.

"I volleyed well today, which was the key as he passes very well," Rusedski said. "I look forward to playing Davydenko in the final...I haven't played here in a while, it didn't work out in my schedule. This week I had got into the draw in Metz and Vienna but waited until I got into Moscow too and decided to come here."

In the final he will face two opponents, the Russian crowd and No. 8 seed Nikolay Davydenko, who outlasted Russian countryman and No. 5 seed Mikhail Youzhny 7-5, 6-7(5), 7-5, saving a match point in the almost three-hour marathon.

Rusedski is seeking his second title of the year after winning on grass in July at Newport. A win would help salvage a somewhat dreadful season for the Brit, who failed to surpass the second round at all four slams, and reached the third round at his only Masters Series appearance at Cincinnati. Davydenko is looking for his second title of the year after Munich.

"I will need help to recover for the final," said a jocular Davydenko after his marathon semifinal. "You have to move so much on this slow surface, I had to work hard for every point, I thought I was dying out there but I kept moving and fighting. You can call it a little miracle that I won today...Rusedski is a serve and volley player and I prefer him to Hrbaty which would have been another baseline match."

Davydenko won his only previous meeting with Rusedski in straight sets at Roland Garros last year.

The doubles final will be (1) Mahesh Bhupathi/Jonas Bjorkman vs. unseeded Russians Igor Andreev/Davydenko.

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The WTA stop in Charleston would not be a "minor tournament," being a Tier I event, but who can tell these days. Our sincerest apologies.

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