BASTAD, Sweden, 13 July 2004 — Argentine Mariano Zabaleta retained the Swedish Open title with a 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 victory over his compatriot and friend Gaston Gaudio in the rain-delayed final yesterday.
Second seed Gaudio won the French Open last month but Zabaleta showed he was the master on the Swedish clay as he bagged his third career title.
“This is my favorite tournament,” said Zabaleta, who ended a five-year title drought last year when he won the event. “I promise to come back next year.”
Zabaleta clinched the first set in just 29 minutes after Gaudio failed to hold serve once.
Gaudio found his rhythm in the second and broke Zabaleta for a 5-4 lead before leveling the contest.
Zabaleta regained the momentum at the start of the deciding set to race into a 4-2 lead.
But nerves crept into his game as he tried to close out the match. Zabaleta allowed the world number 11 to claw his way back into the match and also wasted a match point on Gaudio’s serve in the 12th game.
With Gaudio forcing the match into a tiebreak, Zabaleta lobbed his opponent on match point to seal it 7-4.
“Congratulations Mariano, you are a worthy winner,” said Gaudio.
Britain’s Rusedski Wins
Second Newport Title
Briton Greg Rusedski won his first title since being cleared of doping charges in March when he beat Germany’s Alexander Popp 7-6, 7-6 in the final of the Hall of Fame Championship in Newport, Rhode Island on Sunday.
Rusedski had previously won in Newport 11 years ago to claim the first of his 14 career titles. Sunday’s final was his first since he won the Nottingham Open in June 2003.
Big-serving Rusedski, ranked 110th in the world before the tournament, spent months away from the tennis circuit fighting the doping allegations and had struggled to regain his form.
The 31-year-old was cleared of any doping offence after testing positive for the banned steroid nandrolone in July 2003.
A tribunal ruled the organizers of men’s tennis, the ATP, were responsible for distributing tablets that appeared to be contaminated by prohibited substances.
Sharapova Opts to Cut Back
Schedule After Wimbledon Win
In London, Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova has withdrawn from next week’s JP Morgan Chase Open following her unexpected victory at the grasscourt grand slam.
“When I originally planned my ambitious summer schedule, I dreamed about, but didn’t count on, winning Wimbledon,” the 17-year-old Russian said in a statement yesterday.
“This past week has been the most unbelievable time of my life. I want to make sure that I stay strong and play at my highest level for the rest of the season and beyond.”
The 17-year-old took the tennis world by storm after she became the first Russian to capture a singles title at the All England Club earlier this month.
Sharapova’s victory over Serena Williams in the final also made her the third youngest champion in the event’s 120-year history.
“After talking with my advisers, including my dad and the WTA Tour, we have made the difficult decision to change my schedule to allow me to get some mandatory rest and recovery time.
“I love the JP Morgan Chase Open tournament in Los Angeles, and I am so sorry that I will not be able to play there again this year.”
The Siberian-born teenager plans to return to the WTA Tour for the Acura Classic, which starts on July 26 in San Diego.
