Roddick, Monaco, Bellucci, Cibulkova, Hercog Win Titles

Roddick Outlasts Choking Muller for ATP Atlanta Crown

Andy Roddick’s experience outlasted Gilles Muller’s hot start, but lack of confidence, in the final of the ATP Atlanta stop, coming from a set down to beat the Luxembourg native 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-2.
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“I played very well in the first two sets. At the end of the second set, I got very tight,” Muller said. “I felt like I was in a position to win that match. I was too nervous to close it and then Andy started to play better…Maybe I lost the belief in myself to win that match too quickly.”

Roddick has now won 11 of his last 12 matches including his grasscourt title at Eastbourne, and his loss at Wimbledon.

“I know by now the score of a set is irrelevant,” said Roddick, whose only career loss to Muller came at the US Open. “Whether it’s 7-6 or 6-1, it still counts the same. You just try to start over and put some holds together. I was able to [slide] out the second set and I think he might have gotten a little tired in the third.”

Muller dropped to 0-3 in career finals.

Monaco Into Top 10, Beats Haas in Hamburg Final

Argentina’s Juan Monaco beat Tommy Haas in the ATP Hamburg claycourt final on Sunday 7-5, 6-4, assuring a spot in the ATP Top 10 after the championship run at the Bet-at-home Open.

“It’s amazing [to break the Top 10], it’s a dream come true,” Monaco said. “I will always remember this great week because it’s very important for me and my team. It was a big goal we had pre-season when we were practising very hard.”

Monaco improved to 6-9 in career finals, and 4-1 against Haas, and next will take his talent to London for the Olympics. “To change the courts is not going to be easy for me, but I have five days for practice to be with the guys there,” Monaco said.

Haas was attempting a second title of the year after Halle on grass. “He played a tremendous match,” Haas said. “All credit to him. He performed really well, especially when it came down to the big points. I tried to play my best — I thought I played really well throughout the match. Having the crowd support really lifted me to another gear, but it just wasn’t enough today.”

Bellucci Upsets Tipsarevic for ATP Gstaad Title

Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci moved back into the Top 50 after upsetting No. 8-ranked Janko Tipsarevic 6-7(6), 6-4, 6-2 on Sunday for the Credit Agricole Suisse Open Gstaad title.

“Gstaad is very special for me because I won my first title here three years ago, which was a surprise and unexpected,” Bellucci said. “For me to win one more time here is very special. I feel very comfortable here, like I’m playing at home.”

Tipsarevic dropped to 1-2 in finals this year.

“I felt the first two sets could have gone either way and he was just a better player than me in the third set,” Tipsarevic said.

Bellucci improved to 3-1 in career finals.

Cibulkova Captures 2nd Career Title at WTA Carlsbad

Dominika Cibulkova topped Marion Bartoli 6-1, 7-5 for the Mercury Insurance Open title on Sunday in Carlsbad, Calif., her second career title.

“I have to say, this was the first WTA final where I played really well,” Cibulkova said. “In the first set everything was going my way. My forehand was working today 100 percent, and also my serves and returns. So everything was just fine.”

Cibulkova held her word, as she said if she won the final she would go down the water slide at the La Costa Resort & Spa in her tennis outfit.

Bartoli said she had a difficult time adjusting to the sunshine.
 
“The toughest part for me was to play three matches at night and then come to the day session,” said Bartoli, who fell to 7-11 in career finals. “I played well to get the lead in the second set, but from there I started to feel a bit tired and wasn’t moving so quickly anymore. And she was playing extremely well, which made me feel uncomfortable too.”

Hercog Turns Around Bagel for WTA Bastad Defense

Polona Hercog successfully defended her title in Bastad on Sunday, beating Mathilde Johansson 0-6, 6-4, 7-5 to lift a 2012 that has been marred by injury.

“In a final everybody wants to win, so the nerves kick in a lot — I’m just happy I could calm myself down in the last two games,” said Hercog, who lost the first seven games of the match. “It was a lot of fighting today and a lot of ups and downs, and I’m very happy to win. Second year in a row is amazing — to be invincible here for two years is unbelievable.”

It was the second career title for Hercog after Bastad last year. Entering the event she had lost four first-round matches in a row and had withdrawn from multiple events due to a back injury.

“Bastad has some kind of magic power for me, I guess,” said Hercog, who improved to 2-2 in career finals. Johansson dropped to 0-2 in career finals.

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