Topic: ST. PETERSBURG OPEN ATP 250

[Gawdblessya]

And this is another scheduled ATP 250 tournament.  If you are interested, here are some details:

                               


    Name: St. Petersburg Open
    Category: ATP World Tour 250
    Place: St. Petersburg, Russia
    Date: 17.09.2012-23.09.2012
    Draw Size: S-32 D-16
    Surface: Indoor Hard
    Prize Money: $ 410,850
    Total Financial Commitment: $ 468,350
    Ticket Hotline: +7 812 326 5544

Singles Draw:

http://www.atpworldtour.com/posting/2012/568/mds.pdf

Doubles Draw:

http://www.spbopen.ru/img/flash/2012/mdd_160912.pdf

[Gawdblessya]

Nice to see the British pair Fleming/Hutchins get past  Elgin / Istomin.

I'd be interested to see how Klizan gets on here. He caught my eye in Wimbledon & the USO.

[Gawdblessya]

Today's schedule of play :


Centre Court Start 1:00 pm

Lukasz Kubot (POL) v [2] Denis Istomin (UZB)

Igor Andreev (RUS) v  Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR)

Not Before 5:00 PM

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) / Horacio Zeballos (ARG)  v  Lukasz Kubot (POL) / Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)

Not Before 7:00 PM

[3] Martin Klizan (SVK) v [WC] Mikhail Elgin (RUS)

[1] Rajeev Ram (USA) / Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) v Philipp Marx (GER) / Florin Mergea (ROU)

Court 1 Start 1:00 pm

Simone Bolelli (ITA) v Horacio Zeballos (ARG)

Tobias Kamke (GER) v [4] Fabio Fognini (ITA)

[Q] Sergey Betov (BLR) v  Paolo Lorenzi (ITA)

[WC] Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS) v [Q] Nikolai Fidirko (BLR)

[WC] Ricardas Berankis (LTU) / Nikita Gudozhnikov (RUS) v Lukas Lacko (SVK) / Igor Zelenay (SVK)


Court 2 Start 1:00 pm

[Q] Andrey Kumantsov (RUS) v [8] Jurgen Zopp (EST)

Philipp Petzschner (GER) v Ricardas Berankis (LTU)



Kubot / Istomin are a set apiece but Kubot is up a break in the third set.

And I thought Petzshner would have the better of Berankis, but the latter is up 4-1 in the first set.  Early days, but PP under pressure.

I hope my pick Klizan can show some consistency &  get through.   Fognini / Kamke should be a good match.

My pick for the doubles is Ram / Zimonijc. I hope they play well.

[Gawdblessya]

My chap Klizan is playing well & up a break in the first set. Mind you, I've no idea who this Elgin is? 

Bolleli beat Zeballos     76, 75

Petzchner retired to see Berankis through   63, 33

Fognini beat  Kamke  46, 62, 63

Kubot beat Istomin  46, 63, 64

[Gawdblessya]

I see this topic is zinging with interest!     Nevertheless, here's tomorrows schedule:


Centre Court Start 1:00 pm

Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) v [4] Fabio Fognini (ITA)

Ricardas Berankis (LTU) v [8] Jurgen Zopp (EST)

Roberto Bautista-Agut (ESP) v [WC] Teymuraz Gabashvili (RUS)

Not Before 7:00 PM

[1] Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) v Rajeev Ram (USA)

Lukas Lacko (SVK) / Igor Zelenay (SVK) v [3] Frantisek Cermak (CZE) / Michal Mertinak (SVK)

Court 1 Start 1:00 pm

Grega Zemlja (SLO) v Flavio Cipolla (ITA)

Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP) v Lukasz Kubot (POL)

[3] Martin Klizan (SVK)  v Simone Bolelli (ITA)

Paolo Lorenzi (ITA) v [7] Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)

Martin Klizan (SVK) / Filip Polasek (SVK) v [2] Colin Fleming (GBR) / Ross Hutchins (GBR)

[swish]

I see this topic is zinging with interest! Nevertheless, here's tomorrows schedule:

 
I think the fans have to rest more than the players at times. 

[Gawdblessya]

Swish, you solved the mystery!   

Tomorrows schedule:

Centre Court Start 1:00 pm

Flavio Cipolla (ITA) v Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP)

Roberto Bautista-Agut (ESP) v [4] Fabio Fognini (ITA)

Not Before 5:00 PM

[1] Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) v [7] Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP)

Not Before 7:00 PM

[3] Martin Klizan (SVK)  v  Ricardas Berankis (LTU)
H2H

[4] Frank Moser (GER) / Ken Skupski (GBR) v Lukasz Kubot (POL) / Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)


I'll be watching the Klizan / Berankis match,  I hope it's a good one!

[swish]

I'll be watching the Klizan / Berankis match, I hope it's a good one!

That might be a good one, Klizan has had a few good runs this year and is only 23.

[Gawdblessya]

....
 
That might be a good one, Klizan has had a few good runs this year and is only 23.

I'm watching it. Klizan playing some great tennis here. 5-3 up in the first set.

EDIT:  And he took the first set 6-3.  Serving first in the 2nd set.

Klizan up a break, but Berankis did well to hold. These two can read each other well & are making each other run!

I really like Klizan's brave play. He just hit a superb forehand cross court to find the line. Beautiful.

Berankis put Klizan under pressure in the last game but MK held to go up 4-1. I don't think RB will pull it back now. He hasn't got the depth to beat MK. 

And MK won in straights, 6-3,6-2. Good man.

[Gawdblessya]

Tomorrow's schedule:

Centre Court Start 2:00 pm

[4] Fabio Fognini (ITA) v Daniel Gimeno-Traver (ESP)


[1] Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) v [3] Martin Klizan (SVK)


[1] Rajeev Ram (USA) / Nenad Zimonjic (SRB) v [4] Frank Moser (GER) / Ken Skupski (GBR)

Lukas Lacko (SVK) / Igor Zelenay (SVK) v Martin Klizan (SVK) / Filip Polasek (SVK)


The Youzhny / Klizan match should be exciting to watch.

And I'll watch the Ram/Zimonic match too. 

[Gawdblessya]

I can watch a bit of the Klizan / Youzghny match.   MY trying to break MK in the 8th game, to get back the earlier break against him.

MK keeping focused to hold & go up 5-3. 

MY attempting a poor drop shot.   But he manages to hold.    5-4 to MK, who is serving for the set.

MK at the net & superb passing shot from MY to go 0-15.  MK challenging a call that was out but by a whisker. Nice to se both men smiling about it - good sportsmanship. Well played by MY to break back. It is 5-5.

 

 

[Gawdblessya]

I couldn't watch all the Youzghny / Klizan match, but am pleased to see that MK got through.  I like MY's game, but am interested to see MK's progress.   Nice to see Fognini get through to the final too. 

My doubles pair, Ram / Zimonjic are through too!  So the finals day will be worth watching for me!

Here is the schedule:

Centre Court Start 2:00

[1] Rajeev Ram (USA) / Nenad Zimonjic (SRB)  v Lukas Lacko (SVK) / Igor Zelenay (SVK)

Not Before 4:00 PM

[3] Martin Klizan (SVK) v [4] Fabio Fognini (ITA)
 

[Gawdblessya]

The new pairing worked for Ram / Zimonjic!  They won the doubles title!  I've enjoyed Zimonijic's doubles career over the years with Daniel Nestor.   Well done to Lacko / Zelenay for making the final.

Ram/Zimonjic Triumph In St. Petersburg
Doubles 2012

by ATP Staff
23.09.2012

Top seeds Rajeev Ram and Nenad Zimonjic capped their debut tournament together Sunday as they triumphed at the St. Petersburg Open. The American/Serbian duo defeated Slovakians Lukas Lacko and Igor Zelenay 6-2, 4-6, 10-6 in the final.



Ram and Zimonjic won 83 per cent of points on first serve and broke serve twice before edging their opponents in a Match Tie-break for victory in 71 minutes.

Former World No. 1 Zimonjic captured his 45th tour-level doubles title and second of the season after winning in Rotterdam with Michael Llodra in February (d. Lindstedt/Tecau). The 36 year old lifted the trophy in St. Petersburg for the third time after victories in 2003 (w/ Knowle) and 2007 (w/ Nestor).

The 28-year-old Ram won his seventh doubles title from nine finals. He won two titles last year with Scott Lipsky, triumphing in Delray Beach (d. Kas/Peya) and San Jose (d. Falla/Malisse).

The unseeded pairing of Lacko and Zelenay had ousted third seeds Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak in the quarter-finals en route to reaching their first ATP World Tour doubles final together.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2012/09/38/Doubles-Metz-St-Pete-Sunday.aspx

[Gawdblessya]

And the singles final has just started. I'll watch some of this! 

Fognini starting off with the first game, & gets broken.  Klizan holds to love to go up 2-0.  Nice start. 

I wonder why players feel compelled to try to be too clever at times?  MK mistiming his return of serve in a hurry to make a clean winner, to let FF get to 40-30.  Still, he's deuced it up & now has advantage.  He breaks again.    I hope FF settles down & makes a good match of this.

Wow. Some superb play by MK. Making FF cover both wings & finishing the point with a laser like forehand that paints the line out of FF's reach.  He holds to go up 4-0.  And pressure on FF straight away with a beautiful drop shot.   This man can play tennis.

FF holds under pressure. Hopefully this will get him more of a momentum.  At present, this match looks to be  in MK's pocket.

4-1 with MK serving & 15 all.   I really like MK's aggressive play. He goes for it, and thinks on his feet.  No pusher or grinder, he.

And its deuce. FF putting some pressure on his opponent.  Wonderful shot to get the advantage, MK.

And MK holds. 

Better service game by FF to hold.  It is now 5-2 to MK & he will serve for the set.  And MK takes it 6-2.

Can FF up his level? Will MK drop his own level?  Questions, questions.   

SET 2 :

Excellent opening game by FF to hold it to love. That's more like it.

MK held his own game to love, and proceeded to break FF to love, I think or perhaps 15.    It is now 2-1 to MK as he serves.


And FF breaks back!  Errors from MK, rather than brilliance from FF but this makes it more interesting. Could be easing off?

No. He promptly broke again & is now 3-2 up, to serve next. 

But then lost his own serve to 15-40.  This see-sawing is better suited to the WTA in my view, and MK looks tired out there.    He broke again to go up 4-3, and holds to take it to 5-3.

FF under pressure to stay in the match.  And he can't hold.

Klizan wins 6-2,6-3.  He has won 3 challenger titles this year, got to the 4th round at the USO and takes his first ATP tour title with this win.  Congratulations to him.
 

[Gawdblessya]

Klizan Captures Maiden ATP World Tour Title
St. Petersburg, Russia

by ATP Staff
23.09.2012

World No. 45 Martin Klizan captured his first ATP World Tour title on Sunday as he defeated Fabio Fognini 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the St. Petersburg Open. He is the first Slovakian to win a tour title since Dominik Hrbaty triumphed at Marseille in February 2004.



After 11 failed attempts earlier in the season, Klizan is the first player to win his maiden ATP World Tour title in 2012. He has dropped just one set throughout the campaign, battling to a three-set win over top seed Mikhail Youzhny in three hours and 49 minutes in Saturday’s semi-final.

Klizan is set to rise to around a career-high World No. 33 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings as a result of his victory, having earned 250 ranking points and $70,365 in prize money. Fognini received 150 ranking points and $37,060.

The third-seeded Klizan showed no ill-effects from his marathon semi-final as he raced to a 4-0 lead to take the first set in his first meeting with the fourth-seeded Fognini. Four service breaks were exchanged at the start of the second set before Klizan took a decisive step in the seventh game. He reeled off the last three games of the match to claim victory in 69 minutes.

Until two months ago, Klizan had never won back-to-back tour-level matches. However, since the end of July he has reached the semi-finals in Kitzbuhel (l. to Haase), won an ATP Challenger Tour title in San Marino and knocked out World No. 6 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga en route to a fourth-round showing at the US Open (l. to Cilic).

The 25-year-old Fognini was contesting his second ATP World Tour final having also finished runner-up to Gilles Simon at the BRD Nastase Tiriac Trophy in Bucharest. The Italian dropped to a 22-20 match record on the season.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/News/Tennis/2012/09/38/St-Pete-Sunday-Klizan-Wins-First-Title.aspx