STUTTGART, Germany, 21 July 2003 — Guillermo Coria won his second title of the season yesterday with an impressive 6-2, 6-2, 6-1 display over Spain’s Tommy Robredo at the 765,000-euro (US$862,000) ATP tournament here.
The 21-year-old Argentine showed how much he appreciates the German clay as he lifted the trophy little more than two months after winning the Hamburg Masters.
Coria has turned into a major threat to rival French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero and fellow Spaniard Carlos Moya after performances this season which include his two titles plus the French Open semifinals and a Monte Carlo final.
Coria leaves with a check for 118,000 euros ($133,000) plus a silver-gray Mercedes 240 CLK cabriolet, a 50,000-euro perk awarded each year to the winner.
Belgium Unseat Fed Cup Holders Slovakia
In Charleroi, Belgium, Kim Clijsters beat Janette Husarova 6-0, 6-1 to give Belgium an unassailable 3-0 lead over holders Slovakia in their Fed Cup World Group quarterfinal yesterday. Clijsters thundered through the first set in 22 minutes, giving the Slovak little time to collect her thoughts before the second set, which the world number two opened with an ace.
In Oviedo, Spain, Amelie Mauresmo beat Magui Serna 7-5, 6-2 to give France a 3-0 winning lead over Spain in their Fed Cup World Group quarterfinal on Sunday.
Serna fought hard to keep Spain in the tie after two singles defeats on Saturday and she went an early break ahead against Mauresmo.The powerful Frenchwoman hit back with two breaks of serve to clinch the first set, though, and completed victory in one hour 37 minutes to claim the decisive third point.
In Gifu, Japan’s number two Shinobu Asagoe came to the rescue of her team after ace Ai Sugiyama lost her singles as they defeated Sweden yesterday to return to the Fed Cup tennis World Group next season.
The 11th-ranked Sugiyama suffered a surprise loss to 137th-ranked Sofia Arvidsson 5-7, 1-6 as Sweden pulled one back after two defeats Saturday. But Asagoe dashed any hopes of Sweden’s surprise win by beating 343rd-ranked Hanna Nooni 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) to take an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five contest. Akiko Morigami and Saori Obata made it 4-1 by beating Arvidsson and Nooni 6-3, 6-2.
In Wollongong, Australia retained their place in the Fed Cup World Group with a thrilling 3-2 win over Colombia yesterday.
Alicia Molik and Rennae Stubbs beat Fabiola Zuluaga and Catalina Castano 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 in decisive doubles rubber to clinch the tie.
Australia had fallen behind 2-1 in the play-off when Molik lost 6-2, 6-7 (4-7), 10-8 to Zuluaga in Sunday’s first singles. But Nicole Pratt forced the tie into a deciding doubles when she downed Castano 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) in the last singles match.
In Washington, struggling without top-ranked stars, the United States nevertheless reached the brink of the Fed Cup semifinals on Saturday, seizing a 2-0 lead over Italy in a best-of-five women’s tennis tie.
Eighth-ranked Chanda Rubin beat 58th-rated Rita Grande 6-3, 6-3 while No. 18 Meghann Shaughnessy downed 32nd-ranked Francesca Schiavone 6-3, 6-4 despite squandring five match points and nearly blowing a 5-1 lead in the final set.
