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The Scud triumphs in Boddle and Dunthorne tennis challenge
Buckinghamshire, June 22: Unseeded Australian Mark Philippousis has put himself in contention for a good performance at Wimbledon after beating 14th seed Xavier Malisse of Belgium 7-5, 6-3 in the final of the Boddle and Dunthorne tennis challenge in England.
Buckinghamshire, June 22: Unseeded Australian Mark Philippousis has put himself in contention for a good performance at Wimbledon after beating 14th seed Xavier Malisse of Belgium 7-5, 6-3 in the final of the Boddle and Dunthorne tennis challenge in England.
Russia's new sensation Maria Sharapova and David Nalbandian, the sixth seed from Argentina, who lost the 2002 final to Lleyton Hewitt, were also preparing for Wimbledon, which starts on Monday (June 23).
A group of six players who are seeded at Wimbledon featured in the Boodle and Dunthorne tournament challenge which ended on Saturday (June 21) at the Stoke Park club, in Buckinghamshire, England. Mastet of ceremonis Gabriela Sabatini, who retired from the game at the age of 26 and is now 33, welcomed a legion of fellow Argentinians, starting with David Nalbandian. The sixth seed, who lost last year's Wimbledon final to Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, beat Thomas Enqvist of Sweden on a champions tie-break 11-9, after they tied their exhibition match 6-4, 2-6.
One of the growing band of fast-rising Argentines, Nalbandian probably is the most suited to grass, as he proved last year at Wimbledon when he reached the final on his first visit.
"I much prefer to play in fast courts than in slow ones -- so I enjoy more to play here," he said.
The 21 yer-old from Cordoba will be determined to prove last year was no flash in the pan, although the baseliner has been handed a tough draw. First up is 2000 semi-finalist Vladimir Voltchkov while grasscourt veteran Wayne Ferreira could be waiting in the third round.
Asked about top seeds Hewitt and Andre Agassi of the United States, Nalbandian said: "I think they are all great players and here anybody can do well if they get the right mental attitude and I think it would be a great tournament."
Mark Philippoussis won the final of second Boodle and Dunthorne Champions challenge with a straight sets victory over Xavier Malisse. Powering his way to a 7-5, 6-3 victory, Philippousis' form has peaked at the right time as he prepares for Wimbledon.
The 26 year-old Australian is all but happy that the attention is turned to his compatriot Hewitt, Agassi and fellow American fifth seeded Andy Roddick.
"I am just concentrating on myself and I like when people talk about someone else because they are not talking about me and that's perfect for me. I am just gonna go out there and do what I do and I will just sneak through the draw," Philippousis said.
Malisse could also prove a surprise. Semi-finalist last year, the flamboyant Belgian can beat anyone on his day and was transpiring confidence.
"I want to win it -- once you come to a tournament you want to win it. But I think you have to look at it match by match. I play a qualifier (Cyril Saulnier of France) and he is very good, he played at Queen's, so he knows how to play on grass, so I just want to get round by round and see how far I can go," the 22 year-old Belgian said about his prospects.
Philippousis had no illusions as he gets ready to face his first round Wimbledon opponent, Mariano Zalabeta of Argentina. "There's no easy matches out there in men's tennis, it doesn't matter who do you play and in what surface you play on. And a player like Zabaleta, all the Argentinians are very talented, they can play in any surface. So, I just have to put my head and play my normal tennis and play solid grasscourt tennis,"
The Australian added that rythm was more important than power as he delivered a barrage of aces to beat Malisse.
"Obviously the serve is one of the biggest keys, especially on grass but you know, I just want to have good rythm. Sometimes, I just feel that the bigger I serve, the less I am trying, it's all rythm..."
Phillipousis' first round opponent Zabaleta was also practicing at the Boole and Dunthorne challenge when he was called as a late replacement for Nicolas Lapenti who retired from his match against Gaston Gaudio with back pain.
Zabaleta steppeed in and lost the contest, reduced to one set only, 6-2, to his practicing partner Gaudio. The 24 year-old Argentinian, who reached the semifinals of the Hamburg Open this year, said that tournaments like this were essential to get some match practice on grass.
"We came here just for that, you know. To get used to the grass and to go to Wimbledon as better as we can. So, we'll see, we're going to have to wait until next Monday and we will see how are we getting (used) to the grass."
Gaudio, seeded 29th at Wimbledon, was cautious as he prepares to open his campaign against Mardy Fish of the United States.
"I know him a little bit, I know he is really dangerous, he is a pretty good grass court player I guess,. he has a good serve, it 's going to be touigh for sure," Gaudio said.
Also on Saturday (June 21), Fish lost the final of the Nottingham Open 6-3 6-2 to Briton Greg Rusedski. Russian sensation Maria Sharapova returned to practice in the afternoon after beating Jane O'Donohue of the great Britain 6-0, 6-3 in an exhbition match in the morning.
Boodle and Dunthorne tennis challenge results: Men's final: Mark Philippoussis (Australia) bt Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 7-5, 6-2
Men's exhibtion match: Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) bt Mariano Zabaleta (Argentina) 6-2
Women's exhibition match: Maria Sharapova (Russia) vs Jane O'Donohue (Great Britain) 6-0, 6-3
Bureau Report
A group of six players who are seeded at Wimbledon featured in the Boodle and Dunthorne tournament challenge which ended on Saturday (June 21) at the Stoke Park club, in Buckinghamshire, England. Mastet of ceremonis Gabriela Sabatini, who retired from the game at the age of 26 and is now 33, welcomed a legion of fellow Argentinians, starting with David Nalbandian. The sixth seed, who lost last year's Wimbledon final to Australia's Lleyton Hewitt, beat Thomas Enqvist of Sweden on a champions tie-break 11-9, after they tied their exhibition match 6-4, 2-6.
One of the growing band of fast-rising Argentines, Nalbandian probably is the most suited to grass, as he proved last year at Wimbledon when he reached the final on his first visit.
"I much prefer to play in fast courts than in slow ones -- so I enjoy more to play here," he said.
The 21 yer-old from Cordoba will be determined to prove last year was no flash in the pan, although the baseliner has been handed a tough draw. First up is 2000 semi-finalist Vladimir Voltchkov while grasscourt veteran Wayne Ferreira could be waiting in the third round.
Asked about top seeds Hewitt and Andre Agassi of the United States, Nalbandian said: "I think they are all great players and here anybody can do well if they get the right mental attitude and I think it would be a great tournament."
Mark Philippoussis won the final of second Boodle and Dunthorne Champions challenge with a straight sets victory over Xavier Malisse. Powering his way to a 7-5, 6-3 victory, Philippousis' form has peaked at the right time as he prepares for Wimbledon.
The 26 year-old Australian is all but happy that the attention is turned to his compatriot Hewitt, Agassi and fellow American fifth seeded Andy Roddick.
"I am just concentrating on myself and I like when people talk about someone else because they are not talking about me and that's perfect for me. I am just gonna go out there and do what I do and I will just sneak through the draw," Philippousis said.
Malisse could also prove a surprise. Semi-finalist last year, the flamboyant Belgian can beat anyone on his day and was transpiring confidence.
"I want to win it -- once you come to a tournament you want to win it. But I think you have to look at it match by match. I play a qualifier (Cyril Saulnier of France) and he is very good, he played at Queen's, so he knows how to play on grass, so I just want to get round by round and see how far I can go," the 22 year-old Belgian said about his prospects.
Philippousis had no illusions as he gets ready to face his first round Wimbledon opponent, Mariano Zalabeta of Argentina. "There's no easy matches out there in men's tennis, it doesn't matter who do you play and in what surface you play on. And a player like Zabaleta, all the Argentinians are very talented, they can play in any surface. So, I just have to put my head and play my normal tennis and play solid grasscourt tennis,"
The Australian added that rythm was more important than power as he delivered a barrage of aces to beat Malisse.
"Obviously the serve is one of the biggest keys, especially on grass but you know, I just want to have good rythm. Sometimes, I just feel that the bigger I serve, the less I am trying, it's all rythm..."
Phillipousis' first round opponent Zabaleta was also practicing at the Boole and Dunthorne challenge when he was called as a late replacement for Nicolas Lapenti who retired from his match against Gaston Gaudio with back pain.
Zabaleta steppeed in and lost the contest, reduced to one set only, 6-2, to his practicing partner Gaudio. The 24 year-old Argentinian, who reached the semifinals of the Hamburg Open this year, said that tournaments like this were essential to get some match practice on grass.
"We came here just for that, you know. To get used to the grass and to go to Wimbledon as better as we can. So, we'll see, we're going to have to wait until next Monday and we will see how are we getting (used) to the grass."
Gaudio, seeded 29th at Wimbledon, was cautious as he prepares to open his campaign against Mardy Fish of the United States.
"I know him a little bit, I know he is really dangerous, he is a pretty good grass court player I guess,. he has a good serve, it 's going to be touigh for sure," Gaudio said.
Also on Saturday (June 21), Fish lost the final of the Nottingham Open 6-3 6-2 to Briton Greg Rusedski. Russian sensation Maria Sharapova returned to practice in the afternoon after beating Jane O'Donohue of the great Britain 6-0, 6-3 in an exhbition match in the morning.
Boodle and Dunthorne tennis challenge results: Men's final: Mark Philippoussis (Australia) bt Xavier Malisse (Belgium) 7-5, 6-2
Men's exhibtion match: Gaston Gaudio (Argentina) bt Mariano Zabaleta (Argentina) 6-2
Women's exhibition match: Maria Sharapova (Russia) vs Jane O'Donohue (Great Britain) 6-0, 6-3
Bureau Report