Marach ends Elgin's victory run

By Nandakumar Marar

MUMBAI, MARCH 28. Michail Elgin's run in the men's singles came to a halt against Oliver Marach in the quarterfinal stage of the International Tennis Federation's Satellite Circuit 2001 Masters. The eighth seed from Russia bowed out after giving the top seeded Austrian a strenuous workout, lasting one hour, 19 minutes on a hot day at the Dr G.A.Ranade courts.

Marach won 6-2, 6-4 to set up a semifinal clash with practice partner and friend, Croatia's Ivan Vajda, whom he beat on clay in the second leg final at Nagpur. The hard courts for the Masters are a different proposition, but the top seeded Austrian is bursting with confidence after three weeks of ITF Satellite in India. ``I am confident of playing on any surface, whether from the baseline or at the net,'' he said after his match against Elgin.

The heavily-built Russian was in a punishing mood in the second set, drawing level at 4-4 after losing the first four games in a row, but was not allowed any further liberties by the Austrian who shut out his rival by wrapping up the next two games and the match. Elgin's slam-bang approach even from the baseline makes him a different opponent to tackle when the blistering backhands are working, but this weapon was not big enough to rattle Marach.

Sixth seed Vajda of Croatia, his next opponent, had an easier time in the quarterfinal, winning the first set 6-1 and being 5-0 up in the second when fourth seed Donovan September retired due to a shoulder problem.

Russia's Artem Derepasko toiled under the sun the longest, playing almost two hours before being able to quell the challenge of Fred Hemmes 6-3, 7-5. The second seed from Russia has become more adventurous during the course of his India experience, willing to reach the net more frequently than at the start of the ITF Satellite circuit.

Derepasko won the first set 6-3, aided by two breaks, but became a raving, ranting spectacle on court in the latter stages of the match. Hemmes from The Netherlands, the only unseeded name in the men's singles quarterfinal phase, is a skillful player, dominant at the net with his angled volleys and drops.

He began on the wrong note in the second set, broken in the very first game after committing a double-fault, but employed other weapons to rattle Derepasko. The Russian's ability to keep the ball in play from the baseline did not help him escape the pressure when a quick-moving Hemmes prowled the net, breaking back in the 10th game to draw level at 5-5. Derepasko, who needed medical attention to counter the effects of dehydration in the fourth game where he held serve with difficulty, found himself stranded at the baseline everytime the unseeded Dutchman converted sliced backhands and forehands hit in a hurry into surefire winners, killing the pace of the ball with delicate touches. The second seed fell into the trap on many occasions and ended up venting his anger on himself.

The match appeared to be heading for the third set when two volleying errors by Hemmes, who questioned a line call, helped the exhausted Russian hang on, managing a crucial service break in the 11th to lead 6-5 and serving out the match.

His semifinal opponent is Pakistan's Aisam Qureshi, the third seed from Pakistan who advanced with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over seventh seed Konstantinos Economidis despite choking in the second set, trailing 0-3 at one stage before fighting his way back into contention in the tournament organised and conducted by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association.

lThe results (prefix denotes seedings): Men's singles (quarterfinals): 1-Oliver Marach (Aut) bt 8-Michail Elgin (Rus) 6-2, 6-4; 6-Ivan Vajda (Cro) bt 4-Donovan September (RSA) 6-1, 5- 0 (retired); 3-Aisam Qureshi (Pak) bt 7-Konstantinos Economidis (Gre) 6-1, 6-4; 2-Artem Derepasko (Rus) bt Fred Hemmes (Ned) 6-3, 7-5.

Men's doubles (semifinals): 5-Lauri Kiiski/Tero Vilen (Fin) bt 1- Konstantinos Economidis/Nikos Rovas (Gre) 6-2, 7-6 (8-6); 2-Artem Derepakso/Michail Elgin (Rus) bt 7- Fred Hemmes (Ned)/Ivan Vajda (Cro) 6-4, 6-0.

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