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| October 27, 2003 | Monday | Sha’aban 30, 1424 |
Clijsters reclaims number one spot
LUXEMBOURG, Oct 26: Belgian Kim Clijsters reclaimed the world number one spot following a straight sets win over American Chanda Rubin at the 192,852 euro WTA tournament here on Sunday.
One week after losing the top ranking to compatriot Justine Henin-Hardenne, Clijsters was back in the driving seat despite a hesistant 6-2, 7-5 win over Rubin which gave her a fourth Luxembourg and 18th career title.
Kuerten captures crown
ST PETERSBURG: Brazil’s third seed Gustavo Kuerten easily held off unseeded Armenian Sargis Sargsian 6-4 6-3 in Sunday’s final to capture the St Petersburg Open crown on his first visit to Russia’s second city.
Kuerten, who was by far the more consistent player from the baseline, earned a decisive break in the 10th game to grab the first set, then broke again in the sixth game of the second before clinching his second title this year.
Coria takes title
BASEL (Switzerland): Guillermo Coria claimed his fifth title of the year on Sunday after fellow Argentine David Nalbandian failed to start the Swiss Indoors final.
Nalbandian, like Coria returning from injury, pulled out before the title match citing a recurrence of the wrist problem which has bothered him since the US Open in September.
Fish breaks his duck
STOCKHOLM: American Mardy Fish finally came good in his fourth final of the year, earning the first trophy of his career with a 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (7/4) victory over home favourite Robin Soderling at the 650,000-euro Stockholm Open on Sunday.
The 21-year-old from Florida succeeded in getting over the victory hump after losing title matches this season at Delray Beach, Nottingham and the Masters in Cincinnati where he lost to good friend Andy Roddick.
Soderling, 19, a clear hope for the future of the Swedish game, was denied victory as he played his first-ever ATP final.
Woodbridge TIEs RECORD
STOCKHOLM: Todd Woodbridge on Sunday pulled level on 78 doubles titles with Dutchman Tom Okker and now has his sights set on breaking the all-time mark next week in the final event of the ATP regular season.
Woodbridge, 32, and Swedish partner Jonas Bjorkman, lifted the trophy at the 650,000-euro Stockholm Open, defeating Australians Wayne Arthurs and Paul Hanley, 6-3, 6-4.
Arthurs and Woodbridge play Davis Cup doubles for Australia and are likely to combine from November 28-30 in Melbourne in the final on grass against Spain.
Woodbridge and Bjorkman claimed their fourth title of the season after Halle, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Sugiyama TRIUMPHS
LINZ,(Austria): Second seed Ai Sugiyama of Japan defeated a nervous Nadia Petrova 7-5 6-4 to win the final of the $585,000 Linz tournament on Sunday.
Sugiyama, 28, dominated her Russian opponent from the start, pressurising the fourth seed into making repeated errors.
The 21-year-old Russian briefly rallied to level the score after trailing 5-3 in the first set but Sugiyama then won four games in a row to snatch the first set and take a decisive lead in the second.—Reuters
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