DEN BOSCH, Netherlands, 23 June 2003 — Sjeng Schalken underlined his Wimbledon credentials, beating Frenchman Arnaud Clement for the second year in a row to win the Ordina Open yesterday.
The Dutchman, a quarterfinalist at Wimbledon last year, battled to a 6-3, 6-4 victory to win his first ATP title of 2003, without dropping a set. Schalken had won a title on the Challenger Tour in Prague in May.
“It’s a big confidence boost ahead of Wimbledon, in fact it couldn’t be better, to win the tournament also without losing a set,” Schalken said of yesterday’s victory.
“I was very happy with my semifinal and I’m very happy with the final. Arnaud is a very good grasscourt player, he got to the fourth round at Wimbledon last year. But the result speaks for itself.”
With his backhand working to perfection, third seed Schalken broke Clement in the third game and then repeated the feat six games later to take the opening set.
Schalken broke in the fourth game of the second set on his way to a 4-1 lead but Clement suddenly found his form to storm back and level at 4-4, a brilliant backhand pass the highlight of his comeback.
But Schalken picked his game up again and broke once more, in the 10th game, to complete victory.
The Dutchman is seeded eighth for Wimbledon while Clement is number 15. Clement was satisfied with his performance throughout the week, but said Schalken had simply played the better tennis on the day.
“For a few points today, when I came back from 4-1, that was my best tennis of the week for sure,” Clement said. “But in the end, Sjeng was just a little bit too consistent for me.” The Frenchman takes on American Robby Ginepri in the first round at Wimbledon today. “That will be a very hard match,” he said.
“He didn’t do so well on grass but the last two events on hardcourts, he reached the quarterfinals. I know it will be tough, but hopefully I will be okay.”
Schalken’s first round Wimbledon opponent is Britain’s Arvind Palmer. British bookmakers quote Schalken at 33-1 to win the tournament outright.
