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| October 10, 2005 | Monday | Ramzan 5, 1426 |
Davenport beats Mauresmo to secure career’s 50th title
FILDERSTADT (Germany), Oct 9: Lindsay Davenport swept aside France’s Amelie Mauresmo in the final of the Grand Prix WTA event here on Sunday for the second successive year to secure the 50th title of her career.
The American’s 6-2, 6-4 win put her tenth on the all-time list of WTA Tour titleholders, and made it likely she will soon overtake her compatriot Monica Seles who won three more.
It also kept Davenport in with a chance of becoming year-end world number one for the second successive year, and although she still claims this is not in her thoughts, her German success and the quarter-final defeat of US Open champion Kim Clijsters this week helped keep the issue alive.
Davenport made rapid progress almost at once.
Mauresmo’s second service game was broken to love, and her third was broken to 15. Within minutes the challenger was struggling both with a large deficit and a dilemma of how to counter the thudding blows coming from the champion on the slick indoor surface which suited her.
The Frenchwoman dropped serve to go 1-2 down after a forehand-to-forehand exchange which suggested there would be little profit for the challenger continuing too often in that direction.
And Mauresmo dropped the second one to go 1-4 behind after daring to attack more at the net, though her intentions were insufficiently well masked from Davenport, who twice made passing with time to think about what she might have for tea as well.
Davenport’s steep and assertive serve looked impregnable early on and the best Mauresmo could do was briefly to stop the rot by holding for 2-5 and twice getting break back points as Davenport served for the set.
But the first chance disappeared when she over-hit a forehand drive when there was a gap for a possible winner, and the second evaporated with another trenchant Davenport delivery.
Mauresmo started the second set more comfortably, and raised illusory hopes that she would extend the match the full distance when, out of the blue, she broke Davenport’s serve to lead 4-2.
At this stage Mauresmo’s flamboyant backhand drive with change of direction down was starting to apply pressure and there was an increased error ratio from Davenport.
But retribution was swift and merciless. Davenport broke back at once, completing it with a venomous return of serve and a dismissive forehand faded drive winner.
Minutes later the champion was punishing another second serve from the challenger, and then sweeping a backhand cross court drive for the winner which was the killer thrust.
It completed another break, achieved a 5-4 lead, and set up the platform for Davenport to close it out to love with another thunderous delivery down the middle.
Moodie upsets Ancic
TOKYO: Underdog Wesley Moodie stormed back from the brink of defeat to beat Mario Ancic of Croatia for his first career title at the Japan Open tennis tournament on Sunday.
The unseeded South African, who saved four match points to win the semi-finals Saturday, staved off another two in the second-set tie-breaker before scoring a stunning 1-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 victory.
The women’s singles final was won by Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic after Tatiana Golovin of France abandoned it due to a left foot injury at 7-6 (7/4), 3-2 and 30-15.
“It feels great to win my first title, especially being match points down in the semis and the finals. I was fortunate to come back and playing well. It’s an amazing feeling,” said Moodie.
After the lopsided first set, Moodie once came back from a service break down by hitting a sizzling forehand to tie at 3-all in the second.
Moodie was 6-7 down in the tie-breaker, but his serve-and-volley game made Ancic hit a lob long.
The 26-year-old South African fired a forehand pass on the next match point and then hit a service return winner to lead 8-7 before serving out for squaring the match at one set all.
Moodie had to save two break points in the fourth game of the final set, but converted on the only break chance at 15-40 in the ninth forcing Ancic to misfire a forehand wide to take a commanding 5-4 lead.
Moodie calmly served out for the match.
It was Moodie’s first-ever appearance in an ATP final after reaching the semi-finals twice this year at Delray Beach and Newport.
Results:
Men’s singles final: Wesley Moodie (RSA) bt Mario Ancic (CRO ) 1-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4
Women’s singles final: Nicole Vaidisova (CZE) bt Tatiana Golovin (FRA x3) 7-6 (7/4), 3-2 retired due to left foot injury
Men’s doubles final: Satoshi Iwabuchi/Takao Suzuki (JPN) bt Simon Aspelin/Todd Perry (SWE/AUS x2) 5-4 (7/3), 5-4 (15/13)
Title for Ljubicic
METZ (France): Croatia’s Ivan Ljubicic beat local favourite Gael Monfils 7-6 6-0 in the Metz Open final on Sunday to clinch his first ATP title in four years.
The towering Ljubicic, whose last tour success came in Lyon in 2001, stepped up a gear after a tight first set, relying on his trademark booming serves to take control.
The 19-year-old Monfils, the former junior number one, failed to claim the second title of his career after winning in August in Sopot, Poland.
The powerful Frenchman held his nerve at first but collapsed after losing the first set in a tie break.—Agencies
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