The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Haas has the Mercedes-Benz Cup

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 20, 2004

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Sport - Tennis

Haas has the Mercedes-Benz Cup

LOS ANGELES, JULY 19. Tommy Haas defeated Nicolas Kiefer 7-6(6), 6-4 to win the Mercedes-Benz Cup in the first all-German ATP Tour final in 10 years.

Haas joined Jimmy Connors as the only unseeded winners of the tournament since the Open era began in 1968. Connors won the 1973 title over Tom Okker in the only other final between unseeded players.

It was Haas' second title of the year after he missed all of 2003 with a right shoulder injury that eventually required two surgeries.

He defeated Andy Roddick in May for the U.S. clay court championship. Before his January return to the tour, Haas hadn't played a match since October 2002.

Sunday's final featured two former top-four players seeking to regain their form. Haas' highest ranking was second in May 2002; Kiefer was fourth in January 2000.

Kiefer blew a 4-2 lead in the first set and failed to cash in on two set points. He led 5-1 in the tie-breaker before Haas won seven of the final eight points to take the set.

Haas broke Kiefer at 15-40 to take a 2-1 lead in the second set. Haas survived a break point on his serve — the only one against him in the set — for a 4-2 lead. Kiefer held to trail 5-4 before Haas closed out the victory with a 40-love service game, punctuated by a backhand winner up the line.

Kiefer is 0-3 in finals this year, having previously lost in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Memphis. Meanwhile in Stanford, Lindsay Davenport held off Venus Williams 7-6(4), 5-7, 7-6(4) to win her third Bank of the West Classic title.

Davenport snapped a six-match losing streak to Williams in the longtime rivals' 23rd meeting — and quite possibly the best. After countless thrilling points in a tense, well-played match stretching nearly three hours, Davenport thrust her arms into the air in relief when Williams' final backhand went wide.

Davenport, the second seed, has won three of her finals meetings with Williams at the Stanford tournament, including previous victories in 1998 and 1999.

It was Davenport's 41st WTA singles title and her third this year, after Tokyo's Pan Pacific and Amelia Island.

Williams, the top seed, fell just a few key points short of her third title of the season, making crucial unforced errors on a handful of shots. Williams still has a 12-11 lead in her career over Davenport — but if Davenport retires after the season, the match was an appropriate finale. How close was it? Williams won 142 total points to Davenport's 141 in a match that lasted 2 hours, 55 minutes.

Davenport claimed the $97,000 winner's share of the $585,000 purse — but more importantly, she played her best tennis against one of the game's premiere players, bolstering her confidence for what might be her final months on tour.

The results (finals): At Stanford (Bank of the West Classic): Lindsay Davenport bt Venus Williams 7-6(4), 5-7, 7-6(4).

At Los Angeles (Mercedes-Benz Cup): Tommy Haas bt Nicolas Kiefer 7-6 (6), 6-4.

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