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Carreno Busta Soars In Sao Paulo

  • Posted: Feb 28, 2016

Carreno Busta Soars In Sao Paulo

Spaniard earns maiden final berth

Pablo Carreno Busta will represent the whole of Spain in the Brasil Open final after downing countryman Inigo Cervantes 6-1, 6-1 on Saturday in just 52 minutes to advance to his first ATP World Tour final. Currently ranked No. 67 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, Carreno Busta will reach a career-high rank next Monday.

“I did not expect to win like this,” Carreno Busta said. “I played against Inigo a couple of weeks ago and it was a very difficult match, so I expected the same today, but it was not like that.

“I think I played well, not as well as yesterday but also I think he was a little bit nervous. I took advantage of that. I’m very happy to make my first final. It was my third semi-final and finally I ended as a winner. I’m very happy for that, but especially because of the way I’m playing at the moment.”

Carreno Busta’s Brazil swing has been full of run-ins with familiar opponents. The 24 year old was eliminated by Rafael Nadal in Rio de Janeiro last week before defeating four fellow Spaniards (Ramos-Vinolas, Gimeno-Traver, Carballes Baena and Cervantes) en route to the Sao Paulo final.

In the final, Carreno Busta will face defending champion Pablo Cuevas. The 30-year-old Uruguayan used his experience to down Dusan Lajovic 6-3, 6-4 and will be going for a second title in two weeks after winning in Rio. Cuevas outplayed his Serbian opponent on big points, converting all three break point opportunities while holding Lajovic to one service break (1/8).

“I’m playing very calmly right now, with a lot of confidence,” Cuevas said. “I know there will be difficult moments during the match but I’ll be facing those with tranquility and confidence.”

The two Pablos have met once at tour-level, with Cuevas leading the FedEx ATP Head2Head rivalry thanks to a win on hard court in Valencia 2015.

“[Cuevas] just came off a great tournament last week in Rio, beating great players and winning the trophy and that speaks to his level right now,” Carreno Busta noted.

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Patient Tomic Hits Hot Shot At Acapulco 2016

  • Posted: Feb 28, 2016

Patient Tomic Hits Hot Shot At Acapulco 2016

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Wawrinka Beats Baghdatis For Dubai Title

  • Posted: Feb 27, 2016

Wawrinka Beats Baghdatis For Dubai Title

Swiss star lifts his 13th tour-level trophy in Dubai

Stan Wawrinka extended his winning streak in finals to nine matches on Saturday by capturing the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships title.

Second seed Wawrinka, who hasn’t lost a title match since the 2013 ‘s-Hertogenbosch final (l. to Mahut), defeated Marcos Baghdatis 6-4, 7-6(13) in one hour and 54 minutes for his 13th trophy (13-9 in finals). It was his second ATP World Tour title of the year, following his third straight Chennai title (d. Coric) in January, and his sixth straight victory over fellow 30-year-old Baghdatis.

The Swiss earned 500 Emirates ATP Rankings points and $511,750 in prize money. He has a 13-2 match record in 2016.

Baghdatis, appearing in his 13th tour-level final, ​broke Wawrinka for a 3-2 lead in the first set, but immediately lost his serve to love. At 4-5, Baghdatis battled hard from 0/40, but Wawrinka managed to clinch the 42-minute opener on his fifth set point opportunity.

There were no breaks of serve in the second set, which was decided on a tie-break. Wawrinka took a 4/1 lead, but Baghdatis won five of the next six points. Wawrinka saved five set points at 5/6, 7/8, 8/9, 9/10 and 11/12, while Baghdatis saved three match points at 6/7, 10/11 and 12/13.

World No. 57 Baghdatis, who won his last title at 2010 Sydney (d. Gasquet), is now 4-9 in title matches. The Cypriot takes home 300 points and $240,340.

Wawrinka came within two points of losing to Sergiy Stakhovsky in the first round, which he won 7-5 in the third set. He had previous made first-round exits in 2007 (l. to Federer) and 2008 (l. to Hajek).

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Baghdatis Long Run Hot Shot In Dubai 2016 Final

  • Posted: Feb 27, 2016

Baghdatis Long Run Hot Shot In Dubai 2016 Final

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Bolelli/Seppi Clinch Dubai Doubles Crown

  • Posted: Feb 27, 2016

Bolelli/Seppi Clinch Dubai Doubles Crown

All-Italian team battle hard, saving two match points, to win

Italians Simone Bolelli and Andreas Seppi captured the doubles title on Saturday at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Bolelli and Seppi defeated Spaniards Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez 6-2, 3-6, 14-12 for their first ATP World Tour team title.

Bolelli, who is 5-5 in finals, and Seppi, now 1-6 in doubles title matches, earned 500 Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings points and split $150,800 in prize money.

“I’m very happy because a win is always is good, and Dubai is very good tournament, a big tournament,” said Bolelli. “Thanks to Andreas for playing with me this week. I really enjoyed it. I think we played day by day better.

“Today, was very tight. The Match tie-break was unbelievable. We started 1/5 down. Then we saved match point, we had a match point. We tried to play aggressive… Then, I think we returned very good in the [Match] tie-break on the last points. It was a good win.”

Seppi said, “It was a very good week for me. It’s good to win the title in doubles. It’s my first one. I lost six finals, so to finally win a doubles title is always something special, and especially with a good friend.”

Bolelli and Seppi broke in the fifth and seventh games of the 27-minute opener. Lopez and Lopez broke Bolelli to 15 for a 5-3 lead en route to clinching the second set in 31 minutes.

Bolelli and Seppi fought back from a 1/5 deficit in the Match tie-break, saved two match points at 8/9 and 9/10, before converting their third match point opportunity for victory in 79 minutes.

Lopez and Lopez did not drop a set en route to the final, including a quarter-final victory over top seeds Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau. They lifted the Doha title (d. Murray-Soares) last month.

F. Lopez, who reached the Dubai singles semi-finals (l. to Baghdatis), is now 2-7 lifetime in doubles finals, while M. Lopez dropped to 11-15 in titles matches. They leave the United Arab Emirates with 300 Emirates ATP Doubles Rankings points and $71,270.

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Wawrinka too strong in Dubai decider

  • Posted: Feb 27, 2016

World number four Stan Wawrinka overcame the spirited challenge of Marcos Baghdatis to win the Dubai Tennis Championship.

The Swiss triumphed 6-4 7-6 (15-13) for his ninth straight final win and his second title of the season.

The French Open champion, 30, saved five set points in a tense tie-break and won when a Baghdatis return went wide on a fourth match point.

It was Wawrinka’s first time playing the tournament in eight years.

He had reached the final when Nick Kyrgios retired from their semi-final with a back injury.

That had been the first match between the pair since the infamous match in Montreal last August, when on-court microphones recorded Kyrgios making a lewd suggestion about Wawrinka’s girlfriend.

The Australian, who later apologised for the remarks, was given a fine and a 28-day ban, suspended for six months by the ATP, which came to an end on Wednesday.

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Suarez Navarro lands Doha title

  • Posted: Feb 27, 2016

Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro recovered from a slow start to beat Latvian teenager Jelena Ostapenko and win the Qatar Open.

The 1-6 6-4 6-4 win in Doha will see the 27-year-old Spaniard rise to a career high of sixth in the world rankings on Monday.

“This is such an emotional win. She started well but I believed, I fought, I ran and finally, I won,” she said.

Ostapenko, 18, who was in her first WTA final, will go into the world’s top 50.

She wrapped up the first set in just 25 minutes, but the errors started to creep into her game as Suarez Navarro broke for 4-3 in the second then levelled the match.

The Latvian started the third set strongly and lead 2-0, but Suarez Navarro held her composure and broke back before going 3-2 ahead as she seized the initiative.

Suarez Navarro went 5-4 ahead, leaving her to serve out for the title. And, when Ostapenko netted a backhand, it left the Spaniard celebrating the biggest win of her career.

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Wawrinka Triumphs In Dubai 2016 Highlights

  • Posted: Feb 27, 2016

Wawrinka Triumphs In Dubai 2016 Highlights

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Thiem To Play Tomic In Acapulco 2016 Final

  • Posted: Feb 27, 2016

Thiem To Play Tomic In Acapulco 2016 Final

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Wawrinka Secures Dubai 2016 Title

  • Posted: Feb 27, 2016

Wawrinka Secures Dubai 2016 Title

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