24th WEEK

s’Hertogenbosch. I didn’t expect that Dmitry Tursunov [70] would win another tournament in his career. The 28-year-old Russian in a consequence of a severe left ankle injury, dropped at  No. 719 last year, and the last two seasons was drifting between Challengers and the main tour. “I’ve had a lot of good results this year, but not on the ATP [level],” admitted Tursunov capturing his 7th title, “The start of the year was horrendous for me, in Australia I didn’t do very well and I definitely didn’t expect myself to be doing the way I’m doing right now. After being in tennis a long time now, I understand one week can be terrible and one week can be great. I happened to do all the right things at the right moments this week and I won.”
Perhaps Andreas Seppi [51] and Janko Tipsarevic were the most tricky active players without a title. They met in a Eastbourne final where Seppi led 4:0 in the 3rd set when the rain came. After the break Tipsarevic broke the Italian twice, but after losing his serve in the 8th game, retired due to right hip injury. “It’s for sure a special moment for me,” said Seppi, “I didn’t expect to win my first title on grass, but I really enjoy playing on this surface.” He needed 175 ATP tournaments  to finally get the first title. Only two players in the Open era waited “longer” for the first triumph # The Italian becomes the sixth player this year to claim a maiden title, in the last two seasons five players entered the list of the first-time title winners.

Finals

s’Hertogenbosch (250)
S: Dmitry Tursunov d. (4)Ivan Dodig 6-3, 6-2
D: D.Bracciali/F.Cermak d. (2)R.Lindstedt/H.Tecau 6-3, 2-6, [10-8]

Eastbourne (250)
S: Andreas Seppi d. (3)Janko Tipsarevic 7-6(5), 3-6, 5-3 ret.
D: J.Erlich/A.Ram d. G.Dimitrov/A.Seppi 6-3, 6-3

Choker of the week:

Jarkko Nieminen, who led against Denis Gremelmayr 5:2 in the 3rd set in s’Hertogenbosch, having a match point on serve, the Fin led also 5:3 in the deciding tie-break. Nieminen lost 6-7, 6-2, 6-7 – after identical scoreline he has lost two matches this year, the previous one at Indian Wells to Montanes.

# Six players to participate in the most tournaments before the first title:

223 – Vincent Spadea (Scottsdale 2004)
204 – Tom Gullikson (Newport 1985)
174 – Andreas Seppi (Eastbourne 2011)
168 – Fabrice Santoro (Lyon 1997)
148 – Cedric Pioline (Copenhagen 1996)
143 – Albert Montanes (Amersfoort 2008)