The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Igor Andreev spoils Seppi's party

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jan 14, 2006

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Sport - Tennis

Igor Andreev spoils Seppi's party

SYDNEY: Russia's Igor Andreev beat Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-2, 2-6, 6-2 to reach the final of the Sydney International here on Friday. Andreev will clash with American James Blake who beat Russia's World No. 6 Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 6-2 in the other semifinal.

Justine Henin-Hardenne survived a three-hour struggle to beat Italian Francesca Schiavone 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 in the women's final. The Belgian eighth seed fought back after dropping the opening set to clinch her second Sydney title.

Earlier, the first men's semifinal was interrupted by rain and after a 150-minute rain delay, Seppi, who shocked top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt in the quarterfinals, held serve to win the second set after leading 5-2.

Andreev quickly went a service break up in the deciding set, broke again at 4-2 and then won on his third match point as light rain began falling again at the former Olympic complex.

Davydenko led 4-2 in the first set but from that point never again held his serve, dropping six straight service games.

Roddick to play Haas

World No. 3 Andy Roddick advanced to the final of the Kooyong Classic exhibition tournament at Melbourne after Nicolas Kiefer withdrew just four minutes into their match with an ankle injury. The German held a 1-0 lead in the first set but rolled his ankle when stopping mid-stride after Roddick had served a fault. He sat down immediately and received treatment but decided after about 10 minutes to forfeit the match.

Roger Federer, who had to rush from his hotel after Kiefer's injury for an earlier-than-expected appearance, completed his preparations for the Australian Open with a 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-6(1) victory over Belarus' Max Mirnyi.

The results: At Sydney (Medibank International): Men: Semifinals: Igor Andreev bt Andreas Seppi 6-2, 2-6, 6-2; James Blake bt Nikolay Davydenko 6-4, 6-2.

Women: Final: Justine Henin-Hardenne bt Francesca Schiavone 4-6, 7-5, 7-5.

At Melbourne (Kooyong Classic exhibition): Promotion round: Andy Roddick bt Nicolas Kiefer 1-0, retd.; Relegation round: Roger Federer bt Max Mirnyi 6-7(1), 6-4, 7-6(1); Ivan Ljubicic bt Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-1.

At Auckland (ATP Heineken Open): Semifinals: Mario Ancic bt Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-1; Jarkko Nieminen bt Olivier Rochus 6-4, 6-7(4), 7-6(4).

At Canberra (WTA Canberra International): Anabel Medina Garrigues bt Cho Yoon-jeong 6-4, 0-6, 6-4.

At Hobart (WTA Tasmanian International): Final: Michaella Krajicek bt Iveta Benesova 6-2, 6-1. — Agencies

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