Ferreira Plays Up A Storm For Win
23 August 1994
INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- Wayne Ferreira took no chance on another thunderstorm.
The seventh-seeded South African had to wait more than seven hours because of rain during a semifinal match on Saturday but needed only 59 minutes Sunday to beat Olivier Delaitre 6-2, 6-1 for the U.S. Men's Hardcourt Championship, even as dark clouds overhead threatened another delay.
It was the second-fastest final match on the ATP Tour this season. A light rain hit the Indianapolis Tennis Center stadium court during the first set, but the match continued without interruption.
"Actually, I was thinking if it was going to rain the same spot as yesterday. I was trying to break him to go 5-1 and expected the rain to come," Ferreira said. "But it didn't, and I'm glad it didn't."
The unseeded Delaitre, who did not lose a set and had his serve broken only three times in five previous matches in the $1 million tournament, was broken four times by the 22-year-old Ferreira, who is ranked 15th on the ATP Tour. Ferreira took advantage of 22 unforced errors by the 27-year-old Frenchman, who was seeking his first tour title and had not faced a seeded player before the championship match.
"I could have served probably a little better, but besides that, I did everything I wanted to do," Ferreira said. "He hit the ball well but lacked a little on the power side. That is somewhere where it is easier for me, because I can mix it up. I can stay back or come in."
n
In Montreal, second-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario withstood four rain delays and four match points to win the Matinee International women's tennis championship Sunday, beating top-seeded Steffi Graf 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4).
The victory was worth $150,000 to Sanchez Vicario, a Spaniard who is second to Graf in the world rankings.
Graf, who has seven tournament victories in 11 appearances, earned $60,000. It was Graf's first loss on hardcourts this season after winning 32 consecutive matches on that surface.
Sanchez Vicario won the renamed Canadian Open for the second time. She also won it in 1992, the last time it was played in Montreal.
The four rain delays lasted a combined 5 hours, including a 90-minute delay before the match began.
Graf lost the first set after being broken in the 11th game but came back strongly to break Sanchez Vicario three times in the second set in a vintage display of hard hitting from the baseline.
Graf, who has a 24-7 career mark against Sanchez Vicario, was on the verge of another victory in the 10th game of the third set. She led 5-4, 40-15, only to have Sanchez Vicario stave off four match points.
"I've had two match points against me, but never four," Sanchez Vicario said. "Steffi had two match points against me at Hamburg and I came back to win."
That was on a clay surface and the only time in four meetings that Sanchez Vicario had defeated Graf.
n
In New Haven, Connecticut, Boris Becker had been the clear winner all week in the Volvo International.
Becker, the third seed, completed his sweep through the tournament on Sunday by beating seventh-seeded Marc Rosset 6-3, 7-5 in the final.
Becker didn't drop a set in the tournament, which was plagued by numerous rain delays and a controversy over some of the radical changes the ATP was trying to increase interest in the sport.
"I really had a dream week here," he said. "Too bad we only had two days of good sunshine."
Becker, a three-time Wimbledon champion and former No. 1 player, was true to his old form all week on the way to his 41st career title and third this year. He also won at Milan in February and captured the Los Angeles Open earlier this month.
"To tell you the truth, over the whole week, none of my opponents have reached six games (in a set)," said Becker, who collected $152,000 for the win. "In all of my 41 titles, I don't remember it happening before."
Becker, ranked eighth in the world by the ATP, would have moved up to No. 7 regardless of the outcome. The win improved his match record on hardcourt to 11-4 this year and 11-1 since Wimbledon.
The seventh-seeded South African had to wait more than seven hours because of rain during a semifinal match on Saturday but needed only 59 minutes Sunday to beat Olivier Delaitre 6-2, 6-1 for the U.S. Men's Hardcourt Championship, even as dark clouds overhead threatened another delay.
It was the second-fastest final match on the ATP Tour this season. A light rain hit the Indianapolis Tennis Center stadium court during the first set, but the match continued without interruption.
"Actually, I was thinking if it was going to rain the same spot as yesterday. I was trying to break him to go 5-1 and expected the rain to come," Ferreira said. "But it didn't, and I'm glad it didn't."
The unseeded Delaitre, who did not lose a set and had his serve broken only three times in five previous matches in the $1 million tournament, was broken four times by the 22-year-old Ferreira, who is ranked 15th on the ATP Tour. Ferreira took advantage of 22 unforced errors by the 27-year-old Frenchman, who was seeking his first tour title and had not faced a seeded player before the championship match.
"I could have served probably a little better, but besides that, I did everything I wanted to do," Ferreira said. "He hit the ball well but lacked a little on the power side. That is somewhere where it is easier for me, because I can mix it up. I can stay back or come in."
n
In Montreal, second-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario withstood four rain delays and four match points to win the Matinee International women's tennis championship Sunday, beating top-seeded Steffi Graf 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4).
The victory was worth $150,000 to Sanchez Vicario, a Spaniard who is second to Graf in the world rankings.
Graf, who has seven tournament victories in 11 appearances, earned $60,000. It was Graf's first loss on hardcourts this season after winning 32 consecutive matches on that surface.
Sanchez Vicario won the renamed Canadian Open for the second time. She also won it in 1992, the last time it was played in Montreal.
The four rain delays lasted a combined 5 hours, including a 90-minute delay before the match began.
Graf lost the first set after being broken in the 11th game but came back strongly to break Sanchez Vicario three times in the second set in a vintage display of hard hitting from the baseline.
Graf, who has a 24-7 career mark against Sanchez Vicario, was on the verge of another victory in the 10th game of the third set. She led 5-4, 40-15, only to have Sanchez Vicario stave off four match points.
"I've had two match points against me, but never four," Sanchez Vicario said. "Steffi had two match points against me at Hamburg and I came back to win."
That was on a clay surface and the only time in four meetings that Sanchez Vicario had defeated Graf.
n
In New Haven, Connecticut, Boris Becker had been the clear winner all week in the Volvo International.
Becker, the third seed, completed his sweep through the tournament on Sunday by beating seventh-seeded Marc Rosset 6-3, 7-5 in the final.
Becker didn't drop a set in the tournament, which was plagued by numerous rain delays and a controversy over some of the radical changes the ATP was trying to increase interest in the sport.
"I really had a dream week here," he said. "Too bad we only had two days of good sunshine."
Becker, a three-time Wimbledon champion and former No. 1 player, was true to his old form all week on the way to his 41st career title and third this year. He also won at Milan in February and captured the Los Angeles Open earlier this month.
"To tell you the truth, over the whole week, none of my opponents have reached six games (in a set)," said Becker, who collected $152,000 for the win. "In all of my 41 titles, I don't remember it happening before."
Becker, ranked eighth in the world by the ATP, would have moved up to No. 7 regardless of the outcome. The win improved his match record on hardcourt to 11-4 this year and 11-1 since Wimbledon.
|
|
Tweet |
|
This article has no comments. Be the first to leave a comment |
Discussion
Comments
To post comments you must be registered
Comments via Facebook
Most Read
1.
City Mistakenly Plants Marijuana Field Instead of Lawn
After the city spread soil containing "grass" seeds around the Brateyevo metro station, a field of marijuana plants sprouted up instead of a lawn.
2.
Putin's Foreign Policy Goes on the Road
In a symbolic gesture, President Vladimir Putin on Thursday arrived in Minsk to pay his first foreign visit as head of state to controversial Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
3.
Prominent Businessman Shot Near FSB Headquarters
A prominent business leader was shot and wounded by three masked men in the heart of Moscow on Friday — just steps away from FSB headquarters.
4.
European Debt Crisis Driving Workers East
Despite its inconveniences, Moscow has become a magnet for foreign job-seekers, as unemployment in Europe is hitting record highs amid the debt crisis.
5.
Ruble Hits Lowest Rate in 3 Years
The ruble dipped to a three-year low Thursday as oil prices fell further.
6.
Superjet Flight Data Recorder Found Near Volcano Crash Site
Villagers have found the flight data recorder from the Russian plane that slammed into an Indonesian volcano three weeks ago, killing 45 people.
7.
Shark Repellers Fly Off the Shelves in Vladivostok
Following a series of shark attacks last summer, retailers in Vladivostok are seeing a boom in demand for a new must-have beach accessory — shark deterrents.
8.
China-Russia Airplane Venture Planned
United Aircraft Corporation and Chinese Commercial Aircraft Corporation plan to start a joint venture to develop long-haul aircraft.
9.
Duma Deputy Robbed at Ritzy Hotel
State Duma Deputy Gennady Gudkov was robbed at the upscale Hotel National across from the street from the Kremlin after a conference, Gudkov said Wednesday evening.
10.
BP Confirms Effort to Sell its TNK-BP Stake
BP has agreed to consider quitting its Russian joint venture in a move that could strip the British company of almost a third of its output and reverse the biggest investment in the Russian oil industry.
1.
City Mistakenly Plants Marijuana Field Instead of Lawn
After the city spread soil containing "grass" seeds around the Brateyevo metro station, a field of marijuana plants sprouted up instead of a lawn.
2.
McFaul Faces Kremlin Scorn Once Again
The Foreign Ministry assailed U.S. Ambassador Michael McFaul for comments the ministry said went "far beyond the bounds of diplomatic etiquette."
3.
Sweden Wins Eurovision; Grannies Take Second
Sweden’s Loreen won the Eurovision Song Contest in Azerbaijan on Sunday before an international TV audience of 100 million, days after angering Azeri authorities by meeting rights activists critical of the host country’s human rights record.
4.
Ukraine in Uproar Over Status of Russian Language
Ukraine's ruling party has triggered violent protests with a move to upgrade the official role of Russian, a sensitive issue opponents say will split the country.
5.
Vkontakte Founder Tosses 5,000-Ruble Notes Out Window
<p>The founder of the social networking site Vkontakte celebrated St. Petersburg’s 309th anniversary over the weekend by tossing paper airplanes carrying 5,000-ruble notes out a building window.</p>
6.
150 Detained at Anti-Kremlin Rallies
About 150 people were detained Sunday as scores of people gathered for a series of anti-government demonstrations in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
7.
U.S.-Russian 3-Year Multientry Visa Bill to Go to Duma
After months of delays, the government has finalized a much-touted visa agreement with the United States and drafted the corresponding bill.
8.
Putin's Final Act
Russians are usually patient and slow to rebel, but once they have turned on their leader, they don't stop until he is out.
9.
Kennan's Insight Into the Russian Soul
George Kennan is best known as the author of the containment policy, which served as the overarching principle informing U.S. foreign policy during the Cold War.
10.
Putin's Foreign Policy Goes on the Road
In a symbolic gesture, President Vladimir Putin on Thursday arrived in Minsk to pay his first foreign visit as head of state to controversial Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenko.
1.
Hundreds of Arrests Set Grim Backdrop for Victory Day Celebrations
As Moscow gears up to celebrate its victory in World War II, 67 years ago Wednesday, the shadow of political conflict shrouds the capital as hundreds of arrests cloud Victory Day festivities.
2.
City Mistakenly Plants Marijuana Field Instead of Lawn
After the city spread soil containing "grass" seeds around the Brateyevo metro station, a field of marijuana plants sprouted up instead of a lawn.
3.
Russian Satellite Takes Highest-Ever Resolution Picture of Earth
A stunning 121-megapixel snapshot of the Earth was taken by a Russian weather satellite in what is thought to be the highest resolution picture of the planet ever taken from space.
4.
Bodies, No Survivors Spotted at Superjet Crash
Search and rescue helicopters and volunteers struggling through thick forest and mountainous terrain spotted bodies but no survivors on the Indonesian mountainside where a Sukhoi Superjet 100 crashed by the time darkness forced an end to the search Thursday night.
5.
Tabloid: Superjet Downed by U.S. Industrial Sabotage
A tabloid claims that Russian intelligence agencies are investigating the possibility that the U.S. military may have brought down the Sukhoi Superjet that crashed in Indonesia.
6.
Mysterious Photos Reveal an Unseen WWII
After the end of World War II, Paul Sadler returned home to Chicago with three German books and a photo album from the Dachau concentration camp.
7.
Furniture Magnate Shot Dead in Mercedes in Moscow Region
A 46-year-old furniture magnate was killed with six gunshot wounds to the head and chest early Sunday as he arrived in his Mercedes at his home in the Moscow region.
8.
Vladivostok Bridge Climbers Fined 300 Rubles Each
Three thrill-seekers who climbed two Vladivostok bridges earlier this week and took photos from the top were fined 300 rubles ($10) each for trespassing.
9.
New Cabinet Has Familiar Cast of Characters
President Vladimir Putin on Monday announced the makeup of the new Cabinet answering to Putin and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, with three-fourths of the members having been replaced.
10.
Superjet Missing in Indonesia With 50 on Board
A dark cloud was cast Wednesday on the revival of Russia’s aviation industry when a Sukhoi-built Superjet 100 with 50 people on board disappeared from the radar screens of Indonesian flight controllers.


