No Safin, But Alt-Russian Youzhny in ATP St. Petersburg Final
Posted on October 31, 2004Although top-seeded Russian Marat Safin couldn't deliver, the hometown fans at the ATP stop in St. Petersburg got a homie in the final Saturday when No. 4 seed Mikhail Youzhny came back from a set down to defeat Brit "Grinning" Greg Rusedski 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
"Today it was a difficult match because Greg played well especially in the first set," Youzhny said. "He is maybe a little bit tired because it is his second tournament here in Russia (after the Moscow final two weeks ago). I could see the difference between the way he served in the first and in the last set. In the third, his second serves weren't as dangerous anymore and I had more chances to break him."
In the final the Russian will face unseeded Slovak Karol Beck, who outlasted No. 7 seed Michael Llodra 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, and is appearing in his first ATP final.
"I knew it was going to be a tough match, I played against (Llodra) before," Beck said. "Michael served really well. His left-handed serve is really difficult to return...I was able to put more pressure on him in the third set, pushing him to the error."
Youzhny has beaten Beck in both their previous meetings, both in 2003.
The doubles final will be Hrbaty/Levinsky vs. Frenchmen (2)Clement/Llodra.
"Today it was a difficult match because Greg played well especially in the first set," Youzhny said. "He is maybe a little bit tired because it is his second tournament here in Russia (after the Moscow final two weeks ago). I could see the difference between the way he served in the first and in the last set. In the third, his second serves weren't as dangerous anymore and I had more chances to break him."
In the final the Russian will face unseeded Slovak Karol Beck, who outlasted No. 7 seed Michael Llodra 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, and is appearing in his first ATP final.
"I knew it was going to be a tough match, I played against (Llodra) before," Beck said. "Michael served really well. His left-handed serve is really difficult to return...I was able to put more pressure on him in the third set, pushing him to the error."
Youzhny has beaten Beck in both their previous meetings, both in 2003.
The doubles final will be Hrbaty/Levinsky vs. Frenchmen (2)Clement/Llodra.