The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Kiefer makes final

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Oct 30, 2005

Sport

Sport - Tennis

Kiefer makes final

ST. PETERSBURG: Fifth-seeded German Nicolas Kiefer eased into the St. Petersburg Open final with a 6-3, 6-4 win over unfancied Czech Robin Vik on Saturday.

Kiefer broke his unseeded opponent once in each set before sealing victory with a delicate drop shot in just over an hour.

Vik, who knocked out a pair of seeds including last year's winner Mikhail Youzhny in previous rounds, could do little to stop the in-form German.

The results:

At Lyon (Lyon Open): Quarterfinals: Andy Roddick bt Mario Ancic 6-4, 6-4; Sebastien Grosjean bt Olivier Rochus 6-3, 7-4(5); Gael Monfils bt Marc Gicquel 6-4, 6-1; Fabrice Santoro bt Vincent Spadea 6-2, 6-2.

At St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg Open): Semifinals: Nicolas Kiefer bt Robin Vik 6-3, 6-4; Thomas Johansson bt Fernando Verdasco 6-3, 3-6, 6-3. Quarterfinals: Nicolas Kiefer bt Nikolay Davydenko 6-1, 6-1; Robin Vik bt Mikhail Youzhny 1-6, 6-4, 6-2; Thomas Johansson bt Greg Rusedski 6-2, 7-6(6).

At Basel (Swiss Indoors): Semifinals: Marcos Baghdatis bt David Nalbandian 6-2, 7-6(3). Quarterfinals: Fernando Gonzalez bt Andy Murray 6-4, 3-6, 6-1; Marcos Baghdatis bt Jose Acasuso 6-7(2), 7-6(5), 6-3; David Nalbandian bt Paradorn Srichaphan 6-2, 6-2; Dominik Hrbaty bt Kristof Vliegen 6-7(9), 6-1, 6-3.

At Brussels (Gaz de France WTA Tier III event): Semifinals: Francesca Schiavone bt Michaella Krajicek 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Quarterfinals: Michaella Krajicek bt Nathalie Dechy 6-4, 6-3; Francesca Schiavone bt Samantha Stosur 6-3, 6-2; Kim Clijsters bt Julia Schruff 6-2, 6-3; Dinara Safina bt Katarina Srebotnik 4-6, 6-2, 7-6. At Linz (Generali Open): Semifinals: Patty Schnyder bt Ana Ivanovic 7-5, 6-2. Quarterfinals: Nadia Petrova bt Sybille Bammer 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Ana Ivanovic bt Tatiana Golovin 7-5, 6-3; Patty Schnyder bt Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-1; Kveta Peschke bt Ai Sugiyama 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.