Venus Loss Sinks U.S. Fed Cup Hopes, Alexander Slams Woodbridge for Retiring
Posted on July 10, 2005
Nadal Reaches Final at ATP BastadTop-seeded Rafael Nadal beat countryman Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-3 Saturday at the ATP stop in Bastad for his 28th consecutive claycourt win to reach the final of the Swedish Open.
"I lost my concentration when I led 4-0 in the second, but I stepped up my game," Nadal said. "I'm very happy to have reached another final and the first here in Bastad."
The 19-year-old Nadal will gun for his seventh title of the year against Czech Tomas Berdych, who beat countryman Jiri Vanek 7-5, 6-1.
"I didn't feel so good on the court, but I won this important match and I'm very happy to be in the final," said Berdych, who won his only career title in Palermo last year. "Rafael Nadal is playing so good on clay, I think he's only lost twice this year. I'll try to play better tomorrow because I didn't do my best today."
Nadal has won his last 18 matches against Spaniards after beating Robredo. It will also be the first time two teenagers have met in an ATP final since 18-year-old Lleyton Hewitt beat 18-year-old Xavier Malisse in 1999 Delray Beach.
A win for Nadal over Berdych, who he has never faced, would give him his fifth consecutive claycourt title.
The doubles final will be Bjorkman/J.Johansson (d. (1) Aspelin/Perry in two tiebreaks in the semis) vs. (3) Acasuso/Prieto (d. Monaco/Nadal in three).
Gaudio, Wawrinka in ATP Gstaad Final
The Swiss Open in Gstaad lined up a dream final Saturday when unseeded homecountry hope Stanislas Warinka (d. (Q) Sabau) advanced to face former Roland Garros champions and No. 2 seed Gaston Gaudio (d. (7) Massu).
"I'm very happy to win in two sets because it was very tough," said Wawrinka, appearing in his first ATP final. "It was not easy with the rain -- we stopped three times and also changed the court. I'm very happy to win today."
Gaudio is 3-0 in finals this year with claycourt titles at Vina del Mar, Buenos Aires and Estoril.
"Wawrinka is playing good tennis, it's going to be a tough match," Gaudio said. "You never know what will happen in a final. He will have the whole crowd behind him. I will have to play my best, for sure, to win...After the French Open I started to believe a little bit more."
The doubles final with set No. 2-seeded Czechs Cermak/Friedl (d. Kohlschreiber/Zib from a set down in the semifinals) versus unseeded Germans Kohlmann/Schuettler (d. Spaniards Lopez Moron/Verdasco from a set down).
Rusedski, Spadea in ATP Newport Final
Greg Rusedski won two matches Saturday on the rain-backed-up schedule at the ATP grasscourt stop in Newport, straight-setting Frenchman Anthony Dupuis and Wimbledon doubles winner Wesley Moodie to gain the final.
"Every time I've been in a final here, I've won. It'd be nice to defend," said the two-time Newport winner Rusedski. "I'm really pleased with the way I played."
Moodie had earlier beaten Slovak Michal Mertinak in straight sets.
In the final the No. 3-seeded Rusedski will attempt to defending his 2004 crown against No. 2 seed Vince Spadea, who straight-setted countryman and No. 7 seed Paul Goldstein in the semis.
Spadea is 1-4 in career finals, last year winning his career-first title at The Tennis Channel Open in Scottsdale.
Spadea pulled from the doubles semis citing an abdominal injury, allowing No. 2 seeds Kerr/Thomas a walk into the final, where they will face top-seeded Americans Oliver/Parrott (d. (3) Bracciali/Vico in the semis).
Venus Felled by Myskina in Fed Cup Semis
Venus Williams, carrying the weight of the U.S. Fed Cup hopes after the injury withdrawal of Lindsay Davenport, fell at the first hurdle Saturday in Moscow when former Roland Garros champ Anastasia Myskina outlasted the American 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 en route to Russia securing a 2-0 lead in the tie.
The U.S. almost certainly needed Venus to win both her singles and the doubles to emerge victorious, and now only a Sunday miracle will put the U.S. in the final against either France or Spain.
Williams looked a shell of the player who intently drove to the Wimbledon title just a week ago.
"It's hard to keep intensity up for so many weeks in a row," said Venus, who sprayed balls in the first set and seemed unable to find her concentration on the red dirt. "I was really trying to stay in there for the sake of the team, but she played very well...The change of surface was tougher than I expected, it's a tough court to play on, hard to find your footing, and the balls dug in, they dug their own grave."
Myskina also noticed the Americans lack of fire which helped her persevere through three sets.
"Venus didn't really play her best, not the way she played at Wimbledon, emotionally she seemed very empty," Myskina said. "I love playing at home in front of our crowd, so I'm very happy."
The red clay loss was only the second career Fed Cup shortcoming for Venus.
In the second singles, Fed Cup rookie Mashona Washington blew a 5-1 lead before laying down to Elena Dementieva 7-5, 6-4.
Dementieva recovered from a nervous funk in the first set to go on a 12-of-14 game run.
"It was difficult for me," Dementieva said. "I was so happy for Anastasia. I was very happy on the court, and then I realized I was 1-5 down and I had to find my rhythm and try to turn it round."
In the other semifinal, France ran up a 2-0 lead over Spain, with Amelie Mauresmo defeating Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-4, 6-3, and Mary Pierce defeated Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-4, 7-5.
"I lost to her once this year and I knew it would be tough," Pierce said. "I couldn't play exactly the way I wanted because of the wind but I felt I played okay."
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