Federer, Roddick Win 3rd Consecutive Titles; Navratilova Takes Singles Wildcard
Posted on June 13, 2005
Federer Wins Singles, Doubles Titles at HalleWorld No. 1 Roger Federer was perfect Sunday at the ATP stop in Halle, outlasting Marat Safin 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4 to win his third consecutive Halle singles title, then teaming with Swiss countryman Yves Allegro to defeat Joachim Johansson and Safin 7-5, 6-7(6), 6-3 in the doubles final.
"It's my second double-double isn't it?" Federer said. "And the second time with Allegro, so if I want to win doubles it's with Yves. That's important for the future, because the repeat always proves that you can do it. Davis Cup is coming up as well and I'm always happy for Yves when we win."
The singles win extended Federer's Open Era-record unbeaten streak in finals to 20. It was also his 29th consecutive victory on grass, which gives him a tour-leading seven titles for the year, one ahead of Rafael Nadal.
"It's a wonderful feeling and a kind of relief," Federer said. "Having dealt with the defeat in Paris so well, this is surprising for me, too. It's not normal to come here with less grass preparation and win the tournament in the end."
Federer ties former No. 1 Yevgeny Kafelnikov as the only players to win three titles in a row at Halle.
For Safin it was his first final since winning the Australian Open, and his first career grasscourt final.
"This was once again one of these matches when only two or three points decide all the match," Safin said, gaining newfound confidence on a surface that has confounded him in past years. "Today I made one or two bad decisions, and that's it, the match is gone. But the way I played I think, that was really good, I'm satisfied with it...This was probably my best match on grass I've ever played."
It was Federer's first doubles title since 2003 when he won at Vienna and the Masters Series-Miami.
Roddick Scores Trifecta at ATP Queens
Andy Roddick secured his position as the main threat to Roger Federer at Wimbledon this year, on Sunday at the ATP stop in Queen's winning his third consecutive Stella Artois Championships, edging towering Croat Ivo Karlovic 7-6(7), 7-6(4).
With the trifecta Roddick joined John McEnroe (1979-81) and Lleyton Hewitt (2000-02) as the only three-time winners at the Queen's Club.
"It feels good," said Roddick, who did not give up a break point on serve. "I never would have predicted it three years ago, that's for sure. But I'm happy...The fact that I've played a couple serve-and-volleyers, I've played a couple guys who are a little craftier, some guys who are a little bit in between. So I think it's good that I've seen a lot of different looks this week."
Roddick had a shaky 11-9 tiebreak record this year entering the match. For Karlovic it was his first appearance in an ATP final.
"Even if I lost today, it was the best day and week of tennis my career," Karlovic said. "I really enjoyed this entire week and especially the public's support. I look forward to coming back next year."
In the doubles final, Americans Bob and Mike Bryan successfully defended their Queen's title with a 7-6(9), 7-6(4) victory over top seeds Jonas Bjorkman and Max "The Beast" Mirnyi, the second title of the year for the twin brothers after Scottsdale.
Sharapova Defends WTA Birmingham Title
Maria Sharapova won her second consecutive WTA Birmingham title Sunday with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 win over Jelena Jankovic.
It was the third consecutive title on grass for Sharapova after last year's Birmingham and Wimbledon triumphs.
"She broke me in the second, she was going for all her shots and I couldn't hold my serve," Sharapova said. "When an opponent starts to play well, if they can keep up the level, she's too good. She picked it up in the second set but in the third, I managed to take it. I felt I was in control at the end."
Sharapova won the title with only one other Top 10 player in the field in Alicia Molik, despite suffering a cold and a thigh strain.
"Opponents pushed me but I was still able to come through," Sharapova said. "Having to battle through tough matches and a cold to win the tournament is a great feeling."
Jankovic had a thigh strain of her own that required treatment between the second and third sets.
"I couldn't get my serve going today, and I had a problem with my left leg," Jankovic said. "I just wasn't 100 percent out there and she took advantage of that. I had my chances and managed to take a set, but I couldn't keep up the momentum in the third."
No. 2 seeds Daniela Hantuchova and Ai Sugiyama won their first title as a team together in the doubles final with a 6-2, 6-3 win over the unseeded team of Eleni Daniilidou and Jennifer Russell.
Robredo Leads Clay-on-Grass ATP 's-Hertogenbosch Field
Spain's Tommy Robredo leads a slew of seeds more apt to be found on a claycourt than the lawns of 's-Hertogenbosch this week at the ATP Ordina Open, joined by seeds Guillermo "El Mago" Coria, Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic, German Tommy Haas, Swede Robin Soderling, Romanian Andrei Pavel, Belgian Christophe Rochus, and Frenchman Paul-Henri-Mathieu.
Opening-round matches of interest are (1) Robredo vs. the lawn-proficient Gilles Muller, (4) Haas vs. Karol Kucera, (7) C.Rochus vs. (WC) Mark Philippoussis, and (6) Pavel vs. Jonas Bjorkman.
On court Monday are (LL) Uebel vs (2) Guillermo "El Mago" Coria, Wayne "The Serving Machine" Arthurs vs. "Everybody Loves" Raemon Sluiter, (1) Robredo vs. Muller, Hernych vs. (WC) Van Scheppingen, Lisnard vs. Kohlschreiber, (5) Soderling vs. Haehnel, (Q) Gremelmayr vs. Llodra, Wawrinka vs. Burgsmuller, and Vanek vs. (8) Mathieu.
Ljubicic, Defending Champ Srichaphan Lead ATP Nottingham Field
Ivan Ljubicic leads the hodgepodge of seeds looking to get their last grasscourt licks in this week at the ATP stop in Nottingham, The 10tele.com Open.
The Croat, who has never reached a singles nor doubles final on grass at the ATP level, is joined among the seeds by Swede Thomas Johansson, Slovak Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty, French breakout teen Richard Gasquet, American serve-and-volleyer Taylor Dent still awaiting his European grasscourt breakthrough, Paradorn "The Thai Fighter" Srichaphan, Belgian Olivier "The Roach" Rochus, and Max "The Beast" Mirnyi.
Early-round match-ups of interest are (1) Ljubicic in a potential second-rounder against Croat giant "Dr." Ivo Karlovic, (3) The Dominator vs. Robby "Baby Courier" Ginepri who stretched Tim Henman to three sets last week, (5) Dent vs. towering German Alexander "My Serve Has" Popp, and in a repeat of last week's Queen's match-up, (2) T.Johansson vs. Brit wildcard Andy Murray.
Other wildcards went to Brits Jonathan Marray and Alan MacKin, who square off in the first round.
Srichaphan is the defending champion, defeating the qualifier Johansson (winner in 2001) in last year's three-set final, with the two the only returning champs in the field.
Scheduled for Monday are (WC) Marray vs. (WC) MacKin in an all-Brit, (5) Dent vs. Popp, (3) Hrbaty vs. Ginepri, Zouhir vs. Beck, A.Martin vs. H.-T. Lee, (Q) Rettenmaier vs. Tipsarevic, Ventura vs. Berdych, Mello vs. (Q) Vacek, and Carlsen vs. (Q) Mankad.
Mauresmo, Myskina, Clijsters Draws This Week at WTA Eastbourne
Anastasia Myskina and Kim Clijsters take to the court for the first time since their devastating losses at the French Open this week at the WTA stop in Eastbourne, the Hastings Direct International Championships, headed by top seed Amelie Mauresmo.
Myskina was the defending champ at Roland Garros before making a first-round exit, troubled by a bum shoulder and a life-threatening illness to her mother, while Clijsters had to sleep off choking a 6-1, 3-1 lead before bowing out to Lindsay Davenport in Paris.
Other top seeds are Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, Aussie Alicia Molik looking less-than-sharp while still recovering from an inner ear infection, Russians Vera "The Crying Game" Zvonareva and Elena Likhovtseva, and Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy.
Early-round matches of interest are (1) Mauresmo vs. surging Serb Ana Ivanovic in the second round, (4) Myskina vs. Daniela Hantuchova in the second round, (5) Zvonareva vs. Czech riser Nicole Vaidisova in her opener with the winner likely facing Karolina "The Spreminator" Sprem, (7) Clijsters vs. last week's Birmingham finalist Jelena Jankovic, an all-wildcard match-up in former Wimbledon winner Conchita Martinez vs. Brit Elena Baltacha, and (2) Kuznetsova vs. Maggie Maleeva in the second round.
Last year Kuznetsova, the only returning champ in the field, came from a set down to claim the title over Hantuchova.
Main draw match on the schedule Monday are Dechy vs. Janes, and Vaidisova vs. Zvonareva.
Navratilova Takes Singles Wildcard in Netherlands
Wildcard entrants Martina Navratilova and Michaella Krajicek add some spice to an otherwise "B"-level-Russian-heavy field this week at the WTA stop in 's-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands.
Two-time 2004 slam runner-up Elena Dementieva heads the field, joined by fellow Russian seeds Nadia Petrova and Dinara Safina, Spaniards Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues and Nuria Llagostera "Pancho" Vives, Argentine Gisela "Sgt." Dulko, German Anna-Lena Groenefeld, and Czech Klara "Kouky" Koukalova.
Top two seeds Dementieva and Petrova received opening-round byes in typical WTA opening-round killing fashion, but match-ups of interest await in the later rounds: Navratilova opens against No. 166-ranked Claudine Schaul of Luxembourg, and can meet (1) Dementieva in the quarterfinals; (4) Safina opens against Israeli comer Shahar Peer, with a potential all-Russian semifinal in (2) Petrova vs. (4) Safina.
On court Monday are (WC) Navratilova vs. Schaul, Domachowska vs. (8) Klara "Kouky" Koukalova, Jidkova vs. (7) Groenefeld, Shaughnessy vs. Smashnova, Rezai vs. Chladkova, and Ruano Pascual vs. Dominikovic.
X-CORRECT
Joachim Johansson played in the Halle doubles final Sunday.
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TENNIS-X NEWS, NOTES, QUOTES AND BARBS
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