STRASBOURG, France: Top seed Amelie Mauresmo of France lost in the final of the WTA clay-court tournament here yesterday by 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to Spain’s Anabel Medina Garrigues.
Last year’s Australian and Wimbledon champion and the current world number five was using this event as a stepping stone to the French Open which starts on Sunday.
And appearing for only the third time since appendix surgery in February Mauresmo showed in this defeat that she is still some way short of her best form on the eve of her home Grand Slam.
She said: “The aim is always to win the last match of the week but aside from the immediate disappointment there are lots of positives to come out of it.
“My attacking play is beginning to come together again.” She added: “I feel better leaving Strasbourg than I did arriving here but I’m not fixing my sights on any specific goals at Roland Garros, I’ll take it match by match.”
After beating Uzbekistan’s Varvara Lepchenko and compatriots Emilie Loit and Marion Bartoli en route to the final she was outplayed by a Spanish rival fully at home on the clay and already a winner of this event in 2005.
Mauresmo faces Laura Granville of the United States in the first round while Medina Garrigues, seeded 24, faces Lepchenko. (AFP)
Dementieva wins Istanbul Cup
ISTANBUL: Elena Dementieva won the Istanbul Cup yesterday after her opponent, surprise finalist Aravane Rezai, retired hurt in the second set with the Russian leading 7-6 3-0.
It was a disappointing end to the tournament for the unseeded French player who had pulled off a series of giant-killing victories on her way to the final.
Rezai beat fourth seed Venus Williams in the second round before defeating top seed Maria Sharapova 6-2 6-4 in the semi-finals. On Friday, Rezai suffered a slight leg injury which flared up during yesterday’s final, prompting her to retire after losing her first two service games in the second set.
“I feel sorry for her because she didn’t finish the match but it was a good match, especially in the first set,” said second seed Dementieva.
“This is my first win of the year and I feel so happy today. I don’t know how I will play in the French Open but I’m very happy for today,” the Russian added. Reuters
Henin makes early start to title defence
PARIS: World number one Justine Henin will start the defence of her French Open title today, appearing on centre court on the opening day of the Paris Grand Slam tournament.
Belgian Henin, chasing a third successive crown, will face Russia’s Elena Vesnina in the second match scheduled on the showcase Roland Garros court.
Paris darling Marat Safin, seeded 13th, plays Spaniard Fernando Vicente in the opening match. There will be 24 matches on the various courts, twice as many as last year when the two-week tournament started on a Sunday for the first time.
Neither Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal, the favourites for the men’s title, will be in action.
Spain’s Juan Carlos Ferrero, the 2003 champion, will appear on Court One against unheralded American Amer Delic. (Reuters)
Calleri draws Argentina level
Dusseldorf: Agustin Calleri drew Argentina level 1-1 with the Czech Republic, his 6-3, 6-1 defeat of Jan Hajek throwing the final of the ARAG World Team Championship into a deciding doubles rubber yesterday.
The beefy Calleri, who was used in only one singles match in the group stage, proved his worth when it counted as he took out Hajek.The defeat was the first of the week for the number 101 who came to Dusseldorf standing 0-8 this season and won three singles matches.
The Czechs earned the early lead as Tomas Berdych outlasted Juan Chela 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) in the first rubber of the rain-hit final. Berdych didn’t lose concentration after dropping the first set and sitting through a weather interruption at 2-3 in the final set which lasted for well over an hour. The final set between Berdych and Chela took 63 minutes, the Czech seizing his opening as a Chela return bounced long off the net cord.
Leading 5-4 in the tie-breaker, Berdych fired over his fourth ace for a pair of match points. Chela saved one before returning long to lose after two hours, 23 minutes of play. (DPA)
Monaco downs Monfils for crown
PORTSCHACH, Austria: Argentina’s Juan Monaco secured his second career title with a 7-6 (7/3), 6-0 victory over Frenchman Gael Monfils in the final of the Portschach ATP event here yesterday.
Monaco, ranked 48th in the world, claimed his first title, also on clay, at Buenos Aires in February this year.
Unseeded Monfils, who came into the tournament thanks to a wildcard, shot back to form after a disastrous start to the season in which 10 defeats in 13 matches on the ATP Tour had shattered his confidence. He began his renaissance by beating Andy Roddick, then fourth-seeded Australian Lleyton Hewitt in the semi-final. (AFP) |
