21st week
No Top 10’ers in action this week. In Dusseldorf for the first time since 1978 a regular ATP tournament was held instead of the annual World Team Cup. Juan Monaco [19] took an opportunity of rather week draw and quick elimination of two best Germans. “It’s the best preparation,” said Monaco. “I’ve had a great week here, playing a couple of good matches. Especially today I played really well. So I will look forward to keep playing this way in Paris.” A beaten finalist Jarkko Nieminen dropped to a 2-11 finals record. Monaco’s 8th title, second in Germany.
Albert Montanes [82] had been lately out of form so it was tough to expect that the 32-year-old Spaniard would return to the winners circle. However, Tomas Berdych withdrew from an event in Nice, and Montanes took his place in the draw avoiding first round match. In the last two matches he beat two “wild card” Frenchmen (Edouard Roger Vasselin & Gael Monfils) having a 13-game winning streak! “I was not supposed to play here in the first place,” admitted Montanes. “I was in my home town, 200 km from Barcelona, with friends when I found out I was entering the main draw last Saturday night. So it’s pretty incredible that I am here now with the Nice trophy.” Monfils [109] entered the final on a 9-match winning streak (had won a challenger in Bordeaux in the previous week) – because of injuries he dropped outside the Top 100 for the first time since 2005, similarly to Nieminen, he has one of the worst ATP records in finals among active players: 4-14. Montanes has now won 6 titles – the last two facing Monfils in the final, previously it was Stuttgart 2010.
Finals
Dusseldorf (250)
S: (3,WC)Juan Monaco d. (6)Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 6-3
D: A.Begemann/M.Emmrich d. (3)T.Huey/D.Inglot 7-5, 6-2
Nice (250)
S: Albert Montanes d. (WC)Gael Monfils 6-0, 7-6(3)
D: J.Brunstrom/R.Klaasen d. JS.Cabal/R.Farah 6-3 6-2
Choker of the week:
Sam Querrey – the American was two points away from a straight sets victory over Edouard Roger-Vasselin, but lost 6-3, 6-7(2), 1-6 in the Nice quarterfinal.
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