Scud plots Houston course
From correspondents in Shanghai
September 29, 2003
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS boosted his chances of qualifying for the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup when he won his first title in 2½ years yesterday.
Third-seeded Philippoussis disposed of top seed Jiri Novak 6-2 6-1 in less than 50 minutes to win the Heineken Open here.
The big-serving Australian relied on his usual combination of aces (nine), solid ground strokes and net play. "I was aggressive out there in all parts of my game - I didn't want him dictating the points - and I came out swinging," the 27-year-old said. "I put him on the back foot from the word go."
Philippoussis, whose last title win was in Memphis in February, 2001, picked up 35 Champions Race points, lifting him from 11th to ninth and 47 points behind eighth-placed Argentine David Nalbandian.
The top eight after the Paris Tennis Masters Series event, which starts on October 27, will qualify for the year-ender in Houston.
Novak's trouble began in the fifth game of the first set, as Philippoussis caught the Czech player off guard with a couple of drop shots for his first of five breaks in the match.
Philippoussis had reached the final with a 6-4 6-4 win over Sweden's Robin Soderling, while Novak ended the run of Wayne Arthurs 6-7 (9-7) 6-3 6-2.
World No.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero hinted that he might miss the Australian Open in January as he needs time to recover from a hectic 2003 season.
Ferrero, who is expected to travel to Melbourne with the Spanish team for the Davis Cup final against Australia in late November, said he needed a long rest before beginning his 2004 campaign.
Asked if he would be returning to Australia just six weeks after playing the November 28-30 Davis Cup final, Ferrero said: "I don't know. If I finish the year No.1 and we win the Davis Cup at the end of November, I will have done everything.
"Then I would find it very difficult to practise again straight away to be ready for the Australian Open."
The reigning French Open champion was denied the first indoor title of his career by American Taylor Dent, who beat the Spaniard 6-3 7-6 (7-5) in the final of the Thailand Open.
Having qualified for the Tennis Masters Cup, Andre Agassi has pulled out of three European tournaments scheduled for next month so he can devote more time to his family.
Agassi and his wife, Steffi Graf, are awaiting the birth of their second child. Agassi has pulled out of the Tennis Masters Series events in Madrid and Paris as well as the Stockholm Open.
From correspondents in Shanghai
September 29, 2003
MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS boosted his chances of qualifying for the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup when he won his first title in 2½ years yesterday.
Third-seeded Philippoussis disposed of top seed Jiri Novak 6-2 6-1 in less than 50 minutes to win the Heineken Open here.
The big-serving Australian relied on his usual combination of aces (nine), solid ground strokes and net play. "I was aggressive out there in all parts of my game - I didn't want him dictating the points - and I came out swinging," the 27-year-old said. "I put him on the back foot from the word go."
Philippoussis, whose last title win was in Memphis in February, 2001, picked up 35 Champions Race points, lifting him from 11th to ninth and 47 points behind eighth-placed Argentine David Nalbandian.
The top eight after the Paris Tennis Masters Series event, which starts on October 27, will qualify for the year-ender in Houston.
Novak's trouble began in the fifth game of the first set, as Philippoussis caught the Czech player off guard with a couple of drop shots for his first of five breaks in the match.
Philippoussis had reached the final with a 6-4 6-4 win over Sweden's Robin Soderling, while Novak ended the run of Wayne Arthurs 6-7 (9-7) 6-3 6-2.
World No.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero hinted that he might miss the Australian Open in January as he needs time to recover from a hectic 2003 season.
Ferrero, who is expected to travel to Melbourne with the Spanish team for the Davis Cup final against Australia in late November, said he needed a long rest before beginning his 2004 campaign.
Asked if he would be returning to Australia just six weeks after playing the November 28-30 Davis Cup final, Ferrero said: "I don't know. If I finish the year No.1 and we win the Davis Cup at the end of November, I will have done everything.
"Then I would find it very difficult to practise again straight away to be ready for the Australian Open."
The reigning French Open champion was denied the first indoor title of his career by American Taylor Dent, who beat the Spaniard 6-3 7-6 (7-5) in the final of the Thailand Open.
Having qualified for the Tennis Masters Cup, Andre Agassi has pulled out of three European tournaments scheduled for next month so he can devote more time to his family.
Agassi and his wife, Steffi Graf, are awaiting the birth of their second child. Agassi has pulled out of the Tennis Masters Series events in Madrid and Paris as well as the Stockholm Open.
