1 Response to washington11stepanek.monfils

1. Voo de Mar says:

   February 22, 2016 at 4:41 am

   Points won by each set: | 31-27, 26-24 |
   Points won directly behind the serve:
   17 % Stepanek – 10 of 56
   40 % Monfils – 21 of 52

   An ugly final of two very attractive guys in terms of their game-styles. Monfils showed signs of fatigue early on (tough match vs Isner in night session a day before) and the clever Czech did everything to slow the pace down wearing his opponent. Two early breaks in both sets made the job, Stepanek was taken only once to ‘deuce’ in his ten service games despite just 37% of first serves in! There were two rain-breaks in the 1st set thus the duration of it is a few minutes inadequate.
   The 33-year-old Stepanek [54] collected his last title (in 12th and last final: 5-7 record), and arguably the biggest one – he had also won an ATP 500 in Rotterdam ’06, but defeating Christophe Rochus in the final, for whom it’s the biggest achievement of his tennis life while Monfils was a top 10 player then (ranked No. 7 to be precise). Besides, Stepanek needed to win one match more in Washington to get the title than in Rotterdam.

   Stepanek’s route to his 5th & last title:
   1 Phlipp Petzschner 6-7(2), 6-4, 6-0
   2 Wayne Odesnik 6-1, 6-1
   3 Jarkko Nieminen 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
   Q Fernando Verdasco 6-4, 6-4
   S Donald Young 6-3, 6-3
   W Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-4
   

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