February 14, 2009
ATP World Tour Doubles News
Top Seeds Ease Into Rotterdam Final
Top seeds and 2008 ATP World Tour Champions Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic secured their place in the final of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament after knocking out defending champion Tomas Berdych and partner Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday at the ATP World Tour 500 tennis tournament in Rotterdam.
A confident performance from Nestor and Zimonjic saw them break serve three times from eight opportunities, while saving the one break point they faced in the 53-minute semi-final at the Ahoy Stadium.
Currently eighth in the 2009 ATP Doubles Team Rankings, Nestor and Zimonjic improved to a 10-3 match record on the season. The Canadian-Serbian duo finished runner-up in its first two ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournaments of the season at Doha (l. to Nadal-M. Lopez) and Sydney (l. to Bryan-Bryan) before suffering a disappointing second round loss at the Australian Open (l. to Kubot-Marach).
The 36-year-old Nestor will contest his second final at Rotterdam after finishing runner-up with former long-time partner Mark Knowles in 2002 (l. to Federer-Mirnyi). Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Zimonjic is through to the final for the first time. Individually, Nestor is bidding for his 56th tour-level doubles title – he currently tops the list of active career doubles title leaders with 55 trophies. Zimonjic will be hoping to win his 24th tour-level title.
In the final, Nestor and Zimonjic will face second seeds Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes, who knocked out fourth seeds Julian Knowle and Andy Ram 6-2, 7-6(4). The Czech-Indian duo saved three of four break points and broke serve three times in the 73-minute match.
Paes and Dlouhy are through to their first ATP World Tour final of the season. They opened with a first round exit at Chennai before bouncing back with a semi-final showing at the Australian Open (l. to Bryan-Bryan). Paes is looking to re-capture the Rotterdam title that he won in 2007 with Martin Damm (d. Pavel-Waske). Individually, the 25-year-old Dlouhy will contest his 13th tour-level final (5-7 record), while the 35-year-old Paes is bidding for his 41st tour-level title from 68 finals.
Spaniard Tommy Robredo won the singles and doubles titles at the same tournament for the first time in his career when he teamed with fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers to defeat Argentines Lucas Arnold Ker (ARG) and Juan 6-4, 7-5 in the Brasil Open final Saturday.
Just one player completed a winning double last year: Rafael Nadal at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Monte-Carlo, when he defeated Roger Federer in the singles final and then teamed with Robredo to beat Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles in the doubles final.
Robredo claimed his third doubles title (Chennai 2004, Monte-Carlo 2008). Granollers was appearing in his second ATP World tour doubles final, following his runner-up finish in Houston last year.
Robredo said: "I think luck was on our side. Marcel and I played well, he is a great doubles player. We are very happy because we had a perfect week. It wasn't an easy match because Lucas and Juan are a great team, and we had to try our hardest to gain the lead in the second set. I am leaving Costa do Sauipe very satisfied, although a bit bothered by my injury. Hopefully it will get better."
Granollers said: "We have had a great week and have been able to reach our goal, which was winning this tournament. The match was difficult. They played well but luckily we were able to gain the lead in the second set and win the match."
In San Jose, Rohan Bopanna and Jarkko Nieminen, who upset top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan in the quarter-finals, reached the final with a 3-6, 7-6(5) 10-5 win over Stephen Huss and Ross Hutchins. In the final Bopanna and Nieminen will meet Tommy Haas and Radek Stepanek, who received a walkover in the semi-finals from James Blake (right ankle injury) and Mardy Fish.
ATP World Tour Doubles News
Top Seeds Ease Into Rotterdam Final
Top seeds and 2008 ATP World Tour Champions Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic secured their place in the final of the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament after knocking out defending champion Tomas Berdych and partner Jurgen Melzer 6-3, 6-2 on Saturday at the ATP World Tour 500 tennis tournament in Rotterdam.
A confident performance from Nestor and Zimonjic saw them break serve three times from eight opportunities, while saving the one break point they faced in the 53-minute semi-final at the Ahoy Stadium.
Currently eighth in the 2009 ATP Doubles Team Rankings, Nestor and Zimonjic improved to a 10-3 match record on the season. The Canadian-Serbian duo finished runner-up in its first two ATP World Tour 250 tennis tournaments of the season at Doha (l. to Nadal-M. Lopez) and Sydney (l. to Bryan-Bryan) before suffering a disappointing second round loss at the Australian Open (l. to Kubot-Marach).
The 36-year-old Nestor will contest his second final at Rotterdam after finishing runner-up with former long-time partner Mark Knowles in 2002 (l. to Federer-Mirnyi). Meanwhile, the 32-year-old Zimonjic is through to the final for the first time. Individually, Nestor is bidding for his 56th tour-level doubles title – he currently tops the list of active career doubles title leaders with 55 trophies. Zimonjic will be hoping to win his 24th tour-level title.
In the final, Nestor and Zimonjic will face second seeds Lukas Dlouhy and Leander Paes, who knocked out fourth seeds Julian Knowle and Andy Ram 6-2, 7-6(4). The Czech-Indian duo saved three of four break points and broke serve three times in the 73-minute match.
Paes and Dlouhy are through to their first ATP World Tour final of the season. They opened with a first round exit at Chennai before bouncing back with a semi-final showing at the Australian Open (l. to Bryan-Bryan). Paes is looking to re-capture the Rotterdam title that he won in 2007 with Martin Damm (d. Pavel-Waske). Individually, the 25-year-old Dlouhy will contest his 13th tour-level final (5-7 record), while the 35-year-old Paes is bidding for his 41st tour-level title from 68 finals.
Spaniard Tommy Robredo won the singles and doubles titles at the same tournament for the first time in his career when he teamed with fellow Spaniard Marcel Granollers to defeat Argentines Lucas Arnold Ker (ARG) and Juan 6-4, 7-5 in the Brasil Open final Saturday.
Just one player completed a winning double last year: Rafael Nadal at the ATP Masters 1000 tournament in Monte-Carlo, when he defeated Roger Federer in the singles final and then teamed with Robredo to beat Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles in the doubles final.
Robredo claimed his third doubles title (Chennai 2004, Monte-Carlo 2008). Granollers was appearing in his second ATP World tour doubles final, following his runner-up finish in Houston last year.
Robredo said: "I think luck was on our side. Marcel and I played well, he is a great doubles player. We are very happy because we had a perfect week. It wasn't an easy match because Lucas and Juan are a great team, and we had to try our hardest to gain the lead in the second set. I am leaving Costa do Sauipe very satisfied, although a bit bothered by my injury. Hopefully it will get better."
Granollers said: "We have had a great week and have been able to reach our goal, which was winning this tournament. The match was difficult. They played well but luckily we were able to gain the lead in the second set and win the match."
In San Jose, Rohan Bopanna and Jarkko Nieminen, who upset top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan in the quarter-finals, reached the final with a 3-6, 7-6(5) 10-5 win over Stephen Huss and Ross Hutchins. In the final Bopanna and Nieminen will meet Tommy Haas and Radek Stepanek, who received a walkover in the semi-finals from James Blake (right ankle injury) and Mardy Fish.
