The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Japan's Nishikori captures Memphis title
- Kuchar downs Mahan to win WGC Match Play crown
- Ferrer defends Buenos Aires crown
| Japan's Nishikori captures Memphis title Posted: 24 Feb 2013 06:44 PM PST MEMPHIS (Tennessee): Japan's Kei Nishikori, who did not drop a set all week, easily defeated Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 6-3 in the final of the US Indoor Tennis Championships, claiming his third career ATP Tour title. The 23-year-old Nishikori needed just 67 minutes to earn his second title in four months as he managed to break unseeded Lopez's serve four times on Sunday. "I'm very happy with the way I played today," said Nishikori. "To win this title is an amazing feeling. I tried to concentrate on all the important points. I served really well this week. I was practising a lot and it's getting better. Hopefully I can win a couple more titles. It's been a good start to the year." Meeting for the second time on the Tour, Nishikori started fast, breaking Lopez to begin the match. Nishikori, who is ranked 22nd in the world, clinched the win when Lopez sent a backhand wide on the second championship point. Nishikori appeared to injure his elbow on the first championship point but managed to serve out the match. "I love this place," said fifth seeded Nishikori. "I played an amazing player but I played aggressive today. "For sure I want to come back next year." He had three aces, one double fault and won 80 percent of his second-serve points. Nishikori improved to 11-2 in 2013 and avenged his third-round loss to Lopez in Barcelona two years ago. Nishikori, who earned US$290,000 in prize money, also won in October on his home soil in Tokyo. Spain's Lopez finished with eight aces, but he also double faulted three times against Nishikori. Lopez dropped to 2-6 in title matches with his last win on the tour coming in 2010. "To be in a final without playing for a few weeks is great result for me," Lopez, 31, said. Lopez was trying to become the oldest winner on the ATP Tour this season. - AFP |
| Kuchar downs Mahan to win WGC Match Play crown Posted: 24 Feb 2013 04:38 PM PST MARANA (Arizona): Matt Kuchar denied Hunter Mahan a World Golf Championships Match Play Championship title repeat, triumphing over his fellow American 2 and 1 in Sunday's final at Dove Mountain. Kuchar, eliminated by Mahan in the quarter-finals of the elite 64-man event last year, avenged that defeat as he prevented Mahan from joining Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back winners of the title. Mahan was the first defending champion to return to the final since 2006 winner Geoff Ogilvy of Australia was runner-up in 2007. Kuchar never trailed in the championship match, and in fact trailed for just three holes the entire week. The victory was his first in a WGC event and his fifth on the US PGA Tour. Australian Jason Day was third, defeating former champion Ian Poulter of England in the consolation final 1-up. Kuchar's triumph capped a wild week in the Arizona desert, where a snowstorm that halted first-round play on Wednesday was just the first surprise. When the first round was finally completed on Thursday, the top two players in the world, Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods, were on their way home, and the second round saw the next four seeds - Luke Donald, Louis Oosthuizen and Justin Rose - eliminated as well. The delays, which also included some morning frost delays, made for long days. But after the third round and quarter-finals were contested on Saturday, Poulter was looking a good bet to challenge for the title. But Poulter, whose match play credentials include an unblemished Ryder Cup singles record as well as a triumph in this event in 2010 and in the World Match Play Championship in Spain in 2011, fell to Mahan in the semi-finals on Sunday morning, when a biting wind made for tough going. "It was tricky," the Englishman said. "It was a lot windier today. Hunter never gave me too many opportunities. A couple of chip shots weren't quite right, couple of bunker shots weren't quite right. I'm a bit disappointed I didn't press him more." Mahan never trailed en route to a 4 and 3 victory over Poulter. He went 1-up at the second hole, and after Poulter squared the match with a par at the fourth, the American immediately regained the advantage with a birdie at the fifth and from there never relinquished the lead. Kuchar rolled in a five-footer for birdie at the 15th to close out a 4 and 3 semi-final win over Day, who was unable to make his 22-footer to extend the match. - AFP |
| Ferrer defends Buenos Aires crown Posted: 24 Feb 2013 04:36 PM PST BUENOS AIRES: World number four David Ferrer of Spain defended his crown Sunday at the US$490,000 ATP claycourt tournament in Buenos Aires with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 win over Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka. Ferrer, the top seed, saw off his third-seeded rival before a 4,000 crowd at the Lawn Tennis Club despite dropping serve at the start of the deciding set as he then proceeded to polish off six games on a roll. The 30-year-old pocketed his 20th career title and second of the year after Auckland. "It is difficult to defend a tournament but tennis has been kind to me and I am very happy to have done so. I shall savour the moment," said Ferrer. "Winning 20 titles is tough and I never thought I would get to that total but sometimes you achieve more than you dreamed of." Wawrinka, 17 on the ATP circuit, was left waiting for his fourth title - his most recent coming in 2011 at Chennai. Spanish claycourt specialists have won the past five editions of the tournament, with Tommy Robredo successful in 2009, Juan Carlos Ferrero landing the next crown before Nicolas Almagro in 2011 and then Ferrer the past two years. - AFP |
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