24 October 2010
Sampras falls to Rusedski in straight sets in Chengdu final
Enqvist beats Forget for Third-Place, extending ATP Champions Tour record
to 28-2
On Saturday October 16th, Greg Rusedski (GBR) received a phone call asking him to replace the injured Michael Stich at the Chengdu Open. On Sunday October 24th, Rusedski hoisted the Chengdu Open trophy over his head after defeating 14-time Grand Slam Champion Pete Sampras (USA) 6-4, 6-2.
Sampras looked sluggish and a step slow in the gray Chengdu drizzle, forced to play from behind for essentially the entire match after getting broken at love in his second service game. Rusedski's backhand crosscourt passing shot repeatedly streaked past the net-rushing Sampras, who couldn't get his racket on the crisp winners. With a chance to break back at 3-4, 30-40 in the first set, Sampras chipped and charged only to receive the familiar refrain of Rusedski's backhand passing shot. Rusedski did not give him another look, and closed out the first set with an ace.
Rusedski broke Sampras in the first and third game of the second set to open up a 3-0 lead before play was suspended as the persistent drizzle slicked the courts.
Play resumed more than two hours later with a light mist still falling, as both players were eager to get the match on the books. Rusedski and Sampras were cautious, taking measured, deliberate steps on the glistening court. Rusedski's already hard-to-read serve skidded off the slippery surface, and though Sampras held his own serve twice following the rain delay, he had no chance at breaking.
"We were both being careful out there," Sampras explained of the post-rain delay play. "It was a tricky situation with the court being so wet, and I didn't want to serve as Greg served: 140 [mph] on the first point. Greg, you beat me fair and square today," he said amid laughter. "We wanted to get the match in for the tournament and for the fans, and Greg certainly made it official by serving 140 in the rain."
"Hey, it was only 130 [mph]. It wasn't 140. I don't hit it that hard anymore," replied Rusedski, in good-spirits after such a great week. "I'm really happy to win against a great champion like Pete Sampras,' he said. "I'm very pleased. I had played a lot of tennis coming into the event. I played really well this week. I surprised myself how well I played."
Rusedski now owns a 1-0 record against Sampras on the ATP Champions Tour after a 1-9 head-to-head on the ATP Tour.
Sampras has played two previous events on the ATP Champions Tour, winning his debut on the ATP Champions Tour in Sao Paulo in 2008, and then reaching the semifinals at the Royal Albert Hall in London the same year. Chengdu was his first appearance on the ATP Champions Tour in almost two years.
ATP Champions Tour No.1 and Defending Chengdu Champion Thomas Enqvist (SWE) extended his record to 28-2 by defeating Guy Forget (FRA) 3-6, 6-1, 10-8 (Champions' Tiebreak) in the playoff for third-place. Forget also succumbed to Enqvist in three sets in their last meeting in the Sao Paulo finals in May, 3-6, 6-3, 10-3 (Champions' Tiebreak). Enqvist has won six of the eight ATP Champions Tour events he has entered, with 2010 wins in Bogota, Sao Paulo and Algarve.
The result of facing Enqvist was all too familiar for Forget. "Well, Thomas is still better," he said afterward. "But every time we have good matches. The pace he generates is very very high, so it's a big challenge every time. Today we played some good points, but he played very solid. It was a good match, a good atmosphere, perfect conditions once again."
In the first set, Guy served 11 aces and hit 34 winners, denying Enqvist the chance to convert two break point chances in the pivotal seventh game. After holding for 4-3, Forget broke Enqvist and served out the first set. Enqvist was able to take control in the second set, breaking serve three times. "He was serving very well in the beginning, but I think his shoulder started to get sore in the second set and he had to take something off his serve."
Forget saved one match point down 7-9 in the Champions' Tiebreak by stealing the pace off the ball with a sneaky backhand slice that Enqvist could not lift over the net. Serving for the match at 9-8, Enqvist unleashed a rocket up the T and then took his forehand approach behind Forget in the ad-court for a clean winner and the third-place finish.
"It was a good match, a tough match," Enqvist said. "We played really well. Guy moves incredibly well still, he gets lot of balls back. I'm happy and proud to play all these guys. I'm happy every time I step on the court with Guy."
The 200 South African Airway Ranking Points Enqvist receives for his Chengdu results will cushion him against the encroaching Goran Ivanisevic (CRO) who was just 120 points below him in the rankings at the start of the tournament.
Meanwhile, Forget's fourth-place finish in Chengdu provided him with 150 points, enough to displace John McEnroe as the ATP Champions Tour No. 3. The Frenchman's solid 2010 saw him as the finalist in Paris and Sao Paolo with a third-place finish in Knokke.
Awarded 400 points for his win in China, Rusedski vaults from a three-way tie for No. 17 to No 6, while Sampras collects his first South African Airway points of 2010. The 300 points for his runner-up finish ties him with Thomas Muster as the ATP Champions Tour No. 12.
Next month, the ATP Champions Tour will reconvene in Sydney at The Champions Downunder event from November 11-14. Tennis fans in Chengdu, however, will have to wait another year for the game's greats to return to their backyard. The second edition of the Chengdu Open only served to further whet fans' appetites for another golden October of tennis.
Chengdu Open, Chengdu, China
Thursday 21st October, 2010 --- Starting at 4.00pm
Thomas Enqvist d. Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-3, 6-4
Guy Forget d. Paradorn Srichaphan 6-4, 7-6(1)
Greg Rusedski d. Pat Rafter 6-1, 6-4
Pete Sampras d. Pat Cash 6-3, 6-1
Friday 22nd October, 2010 --- Starting at 4.00pm
Greg Rusedski d. Thomas Enqvist 7-6(3), 3-6, 10-7 (Champions Tiebreak)
Paradorn Srichaphan d. Pat Cash 6-4, 5-7, 10-5 (Champions Tiebreak)
Yevgeny Kafelnikov d. Pat Rafter 6-3, 6-4
Pete Sampras d. Guy Forget 7-6 (9), 6-3
Saturday 23rd October, 2010 --- Starting at 4.00pm
Pete Sampras d. Paradorn Srichaphan 6-2, 6-3
Greg Rusedski d. Yevgeny Kafelnikov 6-3, 6-4
Thomas Enqvist d. Pat Rafter 6-3, 6-4
Guy Forget d. Pat Cash 6-2, 6-4
Sunday 24th October, 2010 --- Starting at 12.30pm
3rd / 4th --- Thomas Enqvist d. Guy Forget 3-6, 6-1, 10-8
The Final --- Greg Rusedski d. Pete Sampras 6-4, 6-2
STANDINGS
| GROUP A |
Matches won/lost (sets) |
| Pete Sampras |
3-0 (6-0) |
| Guy Forget |
2-1 (4-2) |
| Paradorn Srichaphan |
1-2 (2-5) |
| Pat Cash |
0-3 (1-6) |
| GROUP B |
Matches won/lost (sets) |
| Greg Rusedski |
3-0 (6-1) |
| Thomas Enqvist |
2-1 (5-2) |
| Yevgeny Kafelnikov |
1-2 (2-4) |
| Pat Rafter |
0-3 (0-6) |