U.K.: MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS WINS THE BOODLE AND DUNTHORNE TENNIS CHALLENGE IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
Record ID:
647522
U.K.: MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS WINS THE BOODLE AND DUNTHORNE TENNIS CHALLENGE IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
- Title: U.K.: MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS WINS THE BOODLE AND DUNTHORNE TENNIS CHALLENGE IN BUCKINGHAMSHIRE
- Date: 21st June 2003
- Summary: STOKE POGES, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UK (JUNE 21, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. CLUB HOUSE / HOSPITALITY PAVILLION / GREEN SURROUNDINGS 2. BOODLE AND DUNTHORNE TOURNAMENT AMBASSADOR GABRIELA SABATINI 3. VARIOUS OF WIMBLEDON 2002 RUNNER UP DAVID NALBANDIAN AT PRACTICE 4. VARIOUS OF SWEDISH THOMAS ENQVIST PRACTICING 5. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NALBANDIAN TALKING ABOUT HIS CHANCES AT WIMBLEDON, SAYING: "I think I can do well. I have great memories for last year. I think I am playing well and who knows if I can repeat (last year's runner-up place) or even to win the (Wimbledon) tournament." 6. NALBANDIAN PRACTICING NEAR NET 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NALBANDIAN, TALKING ABOUT PLAYING ON GRASS, SAYING: "I much prefer to play in fast courts than in slow ones -- so I enjoy more to play here." 8. SPECTATORS DRINKING 9. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) NALBANDIAN, TALKING ABOUT FAVOURITES LLEYTON HEWITT, ANDRE AGASSI AND ANDY RODDICK, SAYING: "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." (NALBANDIAN WALKS AWAY) 10. MARK PHILIPPOSUSIS (DARK HAIR) SERVING AN ACE IN FINAL AGAINST XAVIER MALISSE (BLONDE, PONY TAIL) 11. PHILIPPOUSIS SERVES, GOOD RALLY, MALISSE WINS POINT 12. MATCH POINT. PHILIPPOUSSIS SERVE AN ACE TO WIN BY TWO CLEAR SETS: 7-5, 6-3. PLAYERS SHAKE HANDS 13. SPECTATORS 14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PHILIPPOUSSIS ASKED HEWITT, AGASSI AND RODDICK BEING NAMED AS FAVOURUTES, SAYING: "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." 15. MALISSE GIVING AUTOGRPAHS 16. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MALISSE SAYING: "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 played 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." 17. PHILIPPOUSSIS GIVING AUTOGRAPHS 18. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PHILIPPOUSSIS TALKKNG ABOUTHIS FIRST ROUND OPPONENT MARCELO ZABALETA OF ARGENTINA, SAYING: "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." (ASKED IF THE STRONG SERVE IS HIS MOST POWERFUL WEAPON) PHILIPPOUSSIS SAYING: "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..." 19. CROWD APPLAUD 20. PHLILIPPOUSIS LIFTS TROHPY 21. AMBASSADRESS SABATINI PRESENTS MALISSE WITH BOTTLE OF CHAMPAGNE AS RUNNERS UP PRIZE 22. CROWD 23. GASTON GAUDIO (CAP/BLONDE) SERVES AND VOLLEYS AGAINST MARIANO ZABALETA (GRAY SHORTS) WHO REPLACED NICOLAS LAPNETI AFTER INJURY 24. ZABABETA SERVES, WINS RALLY 25. MATCH POINT, ZABALETA SERVES, GAUDIO RETURNS, ZABALETA HIS WIDE, GAUDIO WINS, PLAYERS SHAKE HANDS 26. (SOUNDBITE) (english) GAUDIO SAYING: "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." (ASKED ABOUT HIS ROUND OPPONENT MARDY FISH) GAUDIO SAYING: "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." 27. VARIOUS OF RUSSIAN 16 YEAR-OLD WILDCARD MARIA SHARAPOVA AT PRACTICE SUPVERISED BY HER FATHER Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 6th July 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: STOKE POGES, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVA8SYA86FY7UJSKXBCM0AG6KMOG
- Story Text: Unseeded Australian Mark Philippoussis 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 Boodle 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 e 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
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