BASEL, Switzerland, 31 October 2004 — David Nalbandian of Argentina reached his third straight Swiss Indoors final, setting up a title match against Jiri Novak and keeping alive his chance for a spot in the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Houston.
Nalbandian, seeded fourth, defeated ailing Olympic champion Nicolas Massu, the seventh-seeded Chilean, 6-3, 6-4. Novak of the Czech Republic beat Stefan Koubek of Austria in yesterday’s other semifinal, sweeping 11 straight games in a 6-4, 6-0 victory.
Nalbandian is unbeaten in Basel in 13 matches the last three years, but with only one title. He won in 2002 then reached the final again last year but withdrew with an injured left wrist, leaving Guillermo Coria to win by walkover.
Five of the eight places for Houston are set: triple Grand Slam champion Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Lleyton Hewitt, Carlos Moya and French Open champion Gaston Gaudio. Nalbandian is vying with Tim Henman, Coria, Marat Safin and Andre Agassi for the three other berths. Next week’s Paris Masters will determine the field.
Agassi Edges Haas to Reach Final
In Stockholm, Sweden, Andre Agassi edged Tommy Haas in two tiebreaks yesterday and reached the final of the Stockholm Open for the first time.
Agassi prevailed 7-6, 7-6 before another sellout crowd at Royal Tennis Hall in one of the best matches of the 643,750 ($822,000) event. Thomas Johansson, a former Australian Open champion and the last Swede to win the Stockholm Open four years ago, easily beat compatriot Michael Ryderstedt 6-3, 6-2 in the other semifinal.
It was the fourth consecutive straight-sets win for Agassi, but the toughest so far in the tournament.
Neither player was broken in the match. Haas, who also won his first three matches in straight sets, earned two early mini breaks in the first-set tiebreak and led 5-2 before Agassi started his comeback.
Haas, the fourth seed from Germany, had an excellent chance to go up 6-4 but couldn’t put away an easy overhead shot and eventually lost the point when hitting a forehand wide. Haas missed another forehand, giving Agassi the lead in the tiebreak for the first time at 6-5. The American won the set on his first set point with a forehand passer.
The second set also went with serve all the way. Agassi never trailed in the tiebreak, racing to a 5-1 lead and clinching the match on his second match point when Haas’ forehand sailed wide. Agassi will make his first final appearance in Stockholm. He lost two previous quarterfinals in 1989 and 1994 at the Globe Arena across town.
Beck Upsets Llodra, Youzhny Ousts Rusedski at St. Petersburg Open
In St. Petersburg, Russia, fourth-seeded Mikhail Youzhny of Russia and unheralded Slovak Karol Beck advanced to the St. Petersburg Open final with hard-fought victories yesterday.
Youzhny rallied from a set down to defeat Greg Rusedski of Britain 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, while Beck advanced to his first career final by upsetting seventh-seeded Michael Llodra of France 6-4, 2-6, 6-1.
Rusedski combined fast serves with a serve-and-volley game to break Youzhny early in the first set and go up in the match.
In the second set, Youzhny improved his first returns and played more aggressively, forcing Rusedski into long rallies. The Russian, a runner-up to Sebastien Grosjean of France two years ago, broke Rusedski in the fourth game of the second set to even the match 1-1 and then again in the third game of the third set.
Rusedski, who was looking for his second title this season, saved five break points in the eighth game but never threatened Youzhny for a break back.
Youzhny served for the match and closed it on a second match point with a backhand down the line.
Beck, ranked No. 53 in the world, was playing in his first career semifinal and struggled with his first serve in the opening set. He committed five double faults and saved four break points before breaking doubles specialist Llodra in the 10th game for a lead in the match.
Mauresmo and Bovina Win to Reach Final in Linz
In Linz, Austria, top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo of France came back from a set down to beat Serb Jelena Jankovic 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 yesterday and reach the final of the $585,000 Generali Ladies Open at the Intersport Arena.
Mauresmo will face ninth-seeded Elena Bovina, who beat fellow Russian Nadia Petrova, seeded fifth, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6.
The French top-seed had a jump start into the match against a clearly nervous Jankovic, breaking the Serb on her first service game and pulling away 3-0.
However, Jankovic, 19, gradually found her rhythm and took the set after twice breaking the Athens Olympics silver medalist.
Self-confident after defeating No. 4 Vera Zvonareva, the Serb impressed with stirring power tennis, hitting the balls early and putting the top seed in trouble.
In the second set, Mauresmo seemed more determined with her back against the wall, breaking Jankovic at 3-2 and taking the set.
