Garcia-Lopez rules in Thailand
Source: Agencies |
October 4, 2010, Monday
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SPAIN'S Guillermo Garcia-Lopez capped a stunning week by winning the Thailand Open and the second title of his career yesterday, beating Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 in the final.
The 53rd-ranked Spaniard rode the momentum of his upset over top-ranked Rafael Nadal in the semifinals when he became only the seventh player this year to beat Nadal, a nine-time grand slam winner who was fresh from his US Open victory.
Garcia-Lopez applied the same steely nerves as he outserved and outwitted his 60th-ranked Finnish opponent in three closely matched sets, clinching the title on his fourth match point and dropping to the ground to kiss the court in Nonthaburi, outside Bangkok.
"It was an unbelievable week for me," said the 27-year-old Spaniard. "I feel unbelievable. I cannot express (it). Maybe my face doesn't tell, but inside I'm really happy."
It was the first time a Thailand Open final featured two unseeded players.
The first set started slowly going back-and-forth on serve until the seventh game when Garcia-Lopez made the first break, dashing up to the net for a backhand drop-shot to take a 4-3 lead.
The Spaniard held in the next game and edged to 5-3, saving a break point as Nieminen unraveled and yelled at himself on errors. Nieminen held serve, but Garcia-Lopez saved four more break points in the next game and served out the set with an ace.
The left-handed Finn fought back in the next set, taking the first three games and repeatedly whipping out strong serves and forehand winners down the line. He needed only 32 minutes to wrap up the second set.
"I came back but he lifted his game in the third set," Nieminen said. "I tried everything but it wasn't good enough today."
The Spaniard's only previous ATP Tour title came in 2009 in Kitzbuehel.
In Beijing, former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova struggled into the second round of the China Open yesterday with a labored 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory over unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova.
The Russian had trouble finding consistency during her opener as world No. 32 Pironkova put up spirited resistance in the second set.
A glum-looking Sharapova did not even celebrate her progress after a second set tiebreak ended the two-hour, seven-minute slog.
"The first rounds are always difficult. You just try to find your way and your rhythm. At the end of the day, I found a way to win and that was the most important thing today," said 12th-seeded Sharapova.
The Russian, dumped out of the Tokyo Open in the first round by 40-year-old Japanese Kimiko Date Krumm last month, said she was struggling to find her form.
Fourth seed Samantha Stosur suffered a shock exit when she lost to Latvian qualifier Anastasija Sevastova despite comfortably securing the first set 6-2. The Australian then lost the second set 6-7 (5) and the third 5-7.
China's Li Na had an easy passage, however, beating Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia 6-2, 6-0.
The 53rd-ranked Spaniard rode the momentum of his upset over top-ranked Rafael Nadal in the semifinals when he became only the seventh player this year to beat Nadal, a nine-time grand slam winner who was fresh from his US Open victory.
Garcia-Lopez applied the same steely nerves as he outserved and outwitted his 60th-ranked Finnish opponent in three closely matched sets, clinching the title on his fourth match point and dropping to the ground to kiss the court in Nonthaburi, outside Bangkok.
"It was an unbelievable week for me," said the 27-year-old Spaniard. "I feel unbelievable. I cannot express (it). Maybe my face doesn't tell, but inside I'm really happy."
It was the first time a Thailand Open final featured two unseeded players.
The first set started slowly going back-and-forth on serve until the seventh game when Garcia-Lopez made the first break, dashing up to the net for a backhand drop-shot to take a 4-3 lead.
The Spaniard held in the next game and edged to 5-3, saving a break point as Nieminen unraveled and yelled at himself on errors. Nieminen held serve, but Garcia-Lopez saved four more break points in the next game and served out the set with an ace.
The left-handed Finn fought back in the next set, taking the first three games and repeatedly whipping out strong serves and forehand winners down the line. He needed only 32 minutes to wrap up the second set.
"I came back but he lifted his game in the third set," Nieminen said. "I tried everything but it wasn't good enough today."
The Spaniard's only previous ATP Tour title came in 2009 in Kitzbuehel.
In Beijing, former world No. 1 Maria Sharapova struggled into the second round of the China Open yesterday with a labored 6-4, 7-6 (5) victory over unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova.
The Russian had trouble finding consistency during her opener as world No. 32 Pironkova put up spirited resistance in the second set.
A glum-looking Sharapova did not even celebrate her progress after a second set tiebreak ended the two-hour, seven-minute slog.
"The first rounds are always difficult. You just try to find your way and your rhythm. At the end of the day, I found a way to win and that was the most important thing today," said 12th-seeded Sharapova.
The Russian, dumped out of the Tokyo Open in the first round by 40-year-old Japanese Kimiko Date Krumm last month, said she was struggling to find her form.
Fourth seed Samantha Stosur suffered a shock exit when she lost to Latvian qualifier Anastasija Sevastova despite comfortably securing the first set 6-2. The Australian then lost the second set 6-7 (5) and the third 5-7.
China's Li Na had an easy passage, however, beating Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia 6-2, 6-0.
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