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.
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