Rusedski stuns Kafelnikov
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Your support makes all the difference.Greg Rusedski, the defending champion, put his recent problems behind him to overcome the Olympic champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the fourth seed, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 in the CA Trophy in Vienna last night.
Greg Rusedski, the defending champion, put his recent problems behind him to overcome the Olympic champion Yevgeny Kafelnikov, the fourth seed, 6-4, 6-7, 6-3 in the CA Trophy in Vienna last night.
Rusedski, who beat Nicolas Kiefer of Germany to win the title here last year, delivered one of his best displays of the season on the indoor hardcourt to help erase memories of a catalogue of injuries.
The Briton needed a single break for 6-4 before his form wavered in the second set, which he lost 3-7 in a tie-break. In the decider he broke twice, for 3-2 and then for 6-3, profiting from Kafelnikov's double faults on both occasions.
"I always play well here, Vienna treats me well," Rusedski said. "My injuries are not at the back of my head when I enter the court. I have to try and get on a roll and that will give my confidence a boost."
Kafelnikov slammed organisers of the tournament after his defeat which he blamed on a slow surface he said resembled the clay courts of the French Open. "It was a pretty ridiculous surface. We are playing indoors and the surface should be reasonably fast. It was unfortunate as I was hoping to do well this week and I'm very disappointed."
The second seed, Magnus Norman, also made an early exit, losing his first-round tie 4-6, 7-6, 6-4 to Roger Federer of Switzerland. Norman put his defeat down to mental fatigue. "I have been struggling a lot lately with my confidence. I'm mentally tired as I have been playing too much tennis," said the Swede, whose hopes of completing the season as world No 1 were also dented. "Becoming the No 1 has been a goal of mine since the French Open. It will be tough," added Norman, who led the title race for seven weeks earlier in the season and is currently fourth.
Norman had a slow start but came back from 4-1 down to break twice in the seventh and ninth games to claim the first set. He looked likely to win the second set after breaking for 2-1 and was serving for the match before Federer stepped up a gear, broke to level at 5-5 and took the tie-break which followed 7-4. In the final set Federer, a semi-finalist here last year, broke for 4-3 before clinching victory.
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