Mikhail Youzhny has won the first tournament for Russian men’s tennis this year.
Photo: AP
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Youzhny Wins in Rotterdam
Mikhail Youzhny has scored the first title win for Russian men’s tennis this year, beating Ivan Ljubicic 6-2 6-4 in Rotterdam on Sunday.
Tennis fans were expecting a Russian win at the World Indoor Tournament in Rotterdam but from another player – first seed and world number three Nikolay Davydenko. Mikhail Youzhny was not seeded and had a tough draw which started with a battle against fourth seed Tomas Berdych.
Rotterdam could have seen a Russian final on Sunday if Nikolay Davydenko had managed to overcome Ivan Ljubicic. The Croatian’s stunning service and 24 aces made up for all flaws in his tennis to outlast the Russian in two tie-breaks. Ljubicic promised later to buy every spectator a drink if he won the title.
The Croatian was spared a very expensive bar bill on Sunday as the €147,000 tournament money went to Youzhny.
The Russian broke the Croatian’s service twice to secure the first set in half an hour. A break in game five of second set proved enough to seal his first title since 2004.
Youzhny’s win will put him back in ATP top 20 when the latest rankings are announced on Monday.
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Feb. 26, 2007
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