Cash Tops Courier at Seniors Newport on Grass
Posted on August 23, 2009Pat Cash successfully defended his singles title at the $150,000 Hall of Fame Champions Cup defeating Jim Courier 6-3, 6-4 Sunday in the championship match at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. The tournament victory was Cash's second career title on the Outback Champions Series.
"I've been lucky this week," said Cash. 'I got a few lucky breaks today and you need that to beat these guys, who are all champions. The great thing about this tour, the Outback Champions Series, is that it is serious tennis. We get out there and you can see how hard we're trying, but it's also fun."
The 44-year-old Australian was the lone Wimbledon singles champion in the eight-player Newport field.
"I wouldn't say I grew up on the grasscourt but I have played a lot of grasscourt tennis," said Cash. "It's natural for me to play this style of game. It's easy. I don't have to think about it. I just serve and volley. I'm not smart enough to work out a game tactic against Jim so I just kind of keep serving and running to the net."
Courier, playing in his 13th career Outback Champions Series final, was seeking the first career professional title on grasscourts. However, the 1993 Wimbledon finalist and four-time major tournament champion earned $30,000 with the runner-up showing as well as 800 ranking points that further solidified his No. 1 ranking on the Outback Champions Series.
"If you watched this match at all you could see how difficult it is to return Pat's serve," said Courier. "He really spotted his serve beautifully once he got in to the rhythm today and from there I'm struggling because he's such a beautiful volleyer. If he gets his hands on anything at the net then it seems the point's over. I felt under pressure because I was't getting to break point on his serve then that's a lot of pressure on mine."
In Sunday's third-place match, Todd Martin defeated Mark Philippoussis 6-3, 6-7(4), 10-6.
"I've been lucky this week," said Cash. 'I got a few lucky breaks today and you need that to beat these guys, who are all champions. The great thing about this tour, the Outback Champions Series, is that it is serious tennis. We get out there and you can see how hard we're trying, but it's also fun."
The 44-year-old Australian was the lone Wimbledon singles champion in the eight-player Newport field.
"I wouldn't say I grew up on the grasscourt but I have played a lot of grasscourt tennis," said Cash. "It's natural for me to play this style of game. It's easy. I don't have to think about it. I just serve and volley. I'm not smart enough to work out a game tactic against Jim so I just kind of keep serving and running to the net."
Courier, playing in his 13th career Outback Champions Series final, was seeking the first career professional title on grasscourts. However, the 1993 Wimbledon finalist and four-time major tournament champion earned $30,000 with the runner-up showing as well as 800 ranking points that further solidified his No. 1 ranking on the Outback Champions Series.
"If you watched this match at all you could see how difficult it is to return Pat's serve," said Courier. "He really spotted his serve beautifully once he got in to the rhythm today and from there I'm struggling because he's such a beautiful volleyer. If he gets his hands on anything at the net then it seems the point's over. I felt under pressure because I was't getting to break point on his serve then that's a lot of pressure on mine."
In Sunday's third-place match, Todd Martin defeated Mark Philippoussis 6-3, 6-7(4), 10-6.