The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Safin wins China Open

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 20, 2004

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Sport - Tennis

Safin wins China Open

BEIJING, SEPT. 19. Marat Safin won the China Open tennis tournament, beating fellow Russian Mikhail Youzhny 7-6(4), 7-5 to claim his first title in two years on Sunday.

Safin, a former U.S. Open champion, has struggled to return to form following an injury plagued 2003. His win on Sunday lifted him to No. 8 in the world, three points ahead of Andre Agassi, and increased his chances to qualify for the Masters Cup.

While the fifth-seeded Safin triumphed in straight sets over Youzhny, his victory was nonetheless hard-won.

Paes-Stepanek in final

The Indo-Czech pair of Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek defeated Americans Rick Leach and Brian MacPhie 6-4, 7-5 to reach the final in the doubles final of the ATP International Tennis Championship at Delray Beach, Florida on Saturday.

They will meet Eltis and Rodriguez, who edged past Xavier Malisse (Belgium) and Mark Merklein (Bahamas) 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-4, in the final.

Paes and Stepanek had earlier downed Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark) and Ivo Karlovic (Croatia) 6-4, 7-6(6) in the quarterfinals.

The results:

At Beijing (China Open): Final: Marat Safin bt Mikhail Youzhny 7-6(4), 7-5. Semifinals: Marat Safin bt Jarkko Nieminen 6-2, 6-4; Mikhail Youzhny bt Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 6-4.

At Delray Beach (Millennium International): Singles: Semifinals: Vince Spadea bt Jeff Salzenstein 6-1, 6-3; Ricardo Mello bt Mario Ancic 7-6(2) 6-3. Quarterfinals: Spadea bt Hugo Armando 6-3, 1-6, 6-4; Salzenstein bt Greg Rusedski 6-4, 7-6(7); Ancic bt Kenneth Carlsen 6-2, 7-5; Mello bt Jerome Golmard 6-7(2), 6-3, 6-3.

Doubles' semifinals: Leander Paes/Radek Stepanek bt Rick Leach/Brian MacPhie 6-4, 7-5; Gaston Eltis/Martin Rodriguez bt Xavier Malisse/Mark Merklein 6-7(5), 7-6(6), 6-4. Quarterfinals: Paes/Stepanek bt Kenneth Carlsen/Ivo Karlovic 6-4, 7-6(6).

At Bucharest (BCR Open): Final: Jose Acasuso bt Igor Andreev 6-3, 6-0. Semifinals: Jose Acasuso bt Filippo Volandri 7-6(5), 6-2; Igor Andreev bt Florian Mayer 2-6, 6-1, 6-4. Quarterfinals: Acasuso bt Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-2, 7-6(2); Volandri bt Victor Hanescu 6-3, 6-1; Igor Andreev bt Felix Mantilla 6-4, 6-2; Florian Mayer bt David Ferrer 6-4, 6-2.

At Bali (Wismilak International): Final: Svetlana Kuznetsova bt Marlene Weingartner 6-1, 6-4. Semifinals: Kuznetsova bt Nadia Petrova 6-7(1), 6-1 6-2; Weingartner bt Maria Elena Camerin 2-6, 6-3, 6-3.

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