The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Eitzinger wins Bellary Open

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 22, 2007
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Sport - Tennis

Eitzinger wins Bellary Open

Special Correspondent

THE WINNER: Rainer Eitzinger, who won the Bellary Open ITF men’s Futures tennis championship.

Bellary: The third seed, Rainer Eitzinger of Austria, the most consistent player of the tournament, capped his fine run with a well deserved triumph in the $15,000 Bellary Open ITF Futures tennis championship, which concluded here on Sunday.

In a rain-hit final, Eitzinger, ranked 412, defeated fourth seed Ivan Cerovic of Croatia 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

The final was interrupted by rain on Saturday afternoon — the thundershower halted play after the first set. Eitzinger, had won the first at 6-3 breaking Cerovic in the sixth game and in the second set, Cerovic led 1-0 with the second game tied at deuce on Eitzinger’s serve.

The downpour took everyone by surprise and the steady showers, which lasted about 40 minutes, virtually ruled out further play in the day although the organisers made a frantic bid to re-start after mopping up the court. But with fading light, it was decided to continue the match on Sunday morning.

Cerovic, the hard serving Croatian, seemed to relish the reprieve and rest. He came back charging in the second set when play resumed on Sunday morning. After he held his serve for a 2-1 lead, after three deuces, with an ace, Cerovic raised his game a couple of notches higher, blasting away with his first serve with pin point accuracy. He cracked Eitzinger in the sixth with a forehand winner and went on to take the set at 6-3 winning the ninth game at love and tied the match at one set all.

“I am happy to win my first Futures title of the season here. It was a pretty close tie and there were fewer breaks and I guess I played better in earlier matches and towards the end, I was a bit nervous also. The rain break did upset my rhythm a bit and I hope I keep up the good show at the next leg at Gulbarga,” said Eitzinger, who also claimed 24 points and a winner’s purse of $1950.

Mr. Amrit Pal, SP, Bellary, and Mr. Mohammed Iqbal of Hothur Ispat, who sponsored the event, and Mr. C.S. Sunder Raju, the secretary of the KSLTA, presided and gave away the prizes.

The results: Singles (final): Rainer Eitzinger (Aut) bt Ivan Cerovic (Cro) 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.

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