Thursday, October 27, 2005
Pat Cash d. Thomas Muster 6-0, 6-1
John McEnroe d. Mikael Pernfors 6-2, 6-2
Goran Ivanisevic d. Petr Korda 6-2, 6-4
Anders Jarryd d. Jim Courier 7-6, 7-6

Tempers Flare As Cash Beats Muster In Essen

After a year of toil on the Delta Tour of Champions, the Road to London comes to an end at the Deichmann Champions Trophy in Essen, Germany this week, and temperatures are running high.

Pat Cash beat Thomas Muster 6-0, 6-1 in the tournament’s opening match, and there were times when a boxing ring might have been a more suitable arena in which to settle their differences.

The aggravation began towards the end of the second set with Cash playing irresistible tennis to lead 5-0.

Muster finally set up an easy winner, drilling the ball down the centre of the court and catching Cash in the chest. Cash, convinced that the Austrian had deliberately tried to hit him with the ball, decided to have it out with Muster. The pair indulged in an angry exchange, which ended with Cash pushing Muster in the chest and suggesting that they retreat to the locker room to sort it out. Muster insisted that he had not been trying to hit his opponent, and eventually they returned to complete the match.

Cash’s dominance continued in the second set, and a disgruntled Muster refused to shake hands afterwards.

Elsewhere, there were straightforward wins for John McEnroe and Goran Ivanisevic. McEnroe overcame Mikael Pernfors 6-2, 6-2, while Ivanisevic saw off Petr Korda 6-2, 6-4.

In the final match of the day, Anders Jarryd defeated Jim Courier 7-6, 7-6.

The players in each group will face off in a round-robin format, and the top player from each group will then contest Sunday’s final. Those who finish second in each group will play off for third and fourth places respectively.

Matches are contested over the best of three sets, with the deciding set taking the form of a Champions’ Tie-break. The first player to reach 10 points is the winner; if the score is tied at 9-all, a two-point advantage is required.

McEnroe won the first event on the 2005 Delta Tour of Champions – the European section of the worldwide ATP Champions Tour – when he triumphed in Frankfurt in February. Sergi Bruguera overcame Pat Cash in the Doha final in April, and Ivanisevic also beat Cash a week later in the Hong Kong final. Muster took the first clay court title of the year with victory in Rome in May, and then Cedric Pioline triumphed in Novi, Croatia in June. McEnroe won his second title of the year in the Algarve in August, and then Muster lifted the Graz crown to top the rankings. Courier beat Pioline in the Paris final in September, and at the most recent event in Eindhoven, Ivanisevic overcame Richard Krajicek.

Players compete for points throughout the year to qualify for The Champions Masters which takes place between November 29 and December 4. The top ten players in the Stanford Financial Champions Tour Rankings after all events are complete will qualify automatically. The field in London will increase to 12 with the addition of two wild cards. There is a $100,000 prize on offer for the winner in London.

To be eligible to compete on the ATP Champions Tour, players must have been either a World No.1 during their competitive playing careers, a Grand Slam singles finalist, or a singles player on a victorious Davis Cup team, and no longer active on the ATP tour. Each event can also invite two players of its choice to take wild cards.

Thanks for the news!!

Friday, October 28, 2005
Goran Ivanisevic d. Anders Jarryd 7-5, 6-4 :P
Jim Courier d. Petr Korda 6-4, 6-4
John McEnroe d. Thomas Muster 6-2, 6-3
Pat Cash vs. Mikael Pernfors

McEnroe Cruises As Pernfors Shocks Cash

John McEnroe continued a miserable week for Thomas Muster in Essen with a 6-2, 6-3 victory over the Austrian at the Deichmann Champions Trophy. McEnroe will now take on Pat Cash, who had an on-court row with Muster the day before.

McEnroe was in sublime form throughout, and he needed to be. Muster, clearly not happy that he had only won a single game against Cash a day earlier, fought hard.

It was not enough.

“I played great today,” said McEnroe.

“Thomas has got pride, he wanted to bounce back and win but I wasn’t going to give it to him.”

The American has played Cash on numerous occasions, most recently in the Algarve, Portugal. After a fabulous first set, the Australian pulled a hamstring, and despite his movement being hampered, McEnroe laboured before putting him away.

“I felt like I was outplaying him, I won the first set, then he got injured and all of a sudden it got close,” remembered McEnroe.

“I was playing well then, he’s playing well now and this court suits both of us. It’s going to be a tough match, but I’ve had success in Germany – I won the tournament in Frankfurt earlier this year, and I want to finish it well here.”

Cash would have expected to beat Pernfors, but the Swede played inspired tennis, throwing himself into full-length dives to retrieve balls on a couple of occasions. He won 6-2, 7-6(5).

In Group B, Jim Courier kept his hopes of qualifying for the final alive by beating Petr Korda 6-4, 6-4, and Goran Ivanisevic overcame Anders Jarryd 7-5, 6-4.

The players in each group will face off in a round-robin format, and the top player from each group will then contest Sunday’s final. Those who finish second in each group will play off for third and fourth places respectively.

Matches are contested over the best of three sets, with the deciding set taking the form of a Champions’ Tie-break. The first player to reach 10 points is the winner; if the score is tied at 9-all, a two-point advantage is required.

McEnroe won the first event on the 2005 Delta Tour of Champions – the European section of the worldwide ATP Champions Tour – when he triumphed in Frankfurt in February. Sergi Bruguera overcame Pat Cash in the Doha final in April, and Ivanisevic also beat Cash a week later in the Hong Kong final. Muster took the first clay court title of the year with victory in Rome in May, and then Cedric Pioline triumphed in Novi, Croatia in June. McEnroe won his second title of the year in the Algarve in August, and then Muster lifted the Graz crown to top the rankings. Courier beat Pioline in the Paris final in September, and at the most recent event in Eindhoven, Ivanisevic overcame Richard Krajicek.

Players compete for points throughout the year to qualify for The Champions Masters which takes place between November 29 and December 4. The top ten players in the Stanford Financial Champions Tour Rankings after all events are complete will qualify automatically. The field in London will increase to 12 with the addition of two wild cards. There is a $100,000 prize on offer for the winner in London.

To be eligible to compete on the ATP Champions Tour, players must have been either a World No.1 during their competitive playing careers, a Grand Slam singles finalist, or a singles player on a victorious Davis Cup team, and no longer active on the ATP tour. Each event can also invite two players of its choice to take wild cards.

Saturday, October 29, 2005
Anders Jarryd d. Petr Korda 3-6, 6-2, 10-5 (on a Champions' Tie-Break)
Goran Ivanisevic d. Jim Courier 4-6, 6-4, 12-10
(on a Champions' Tie-Break) :P ;)

"Bring It On, Goran," Says McEnroe

John McEnroe set up a dream final against Goran Ivanisevic at the Deichmann Champions Trophy in Essen after a stunning 5-7, 6-3, 10-8 (on a Champions’ Tie-Break) win over Pat Cash on Saturday.

On a day when all four matches went to a deciding third set Champions’ Tie-Break, Ivanisevic overcame Jim Courier 4-6, 6-4, 12-10.

McEnroe looked to be struggling when he dropped the first set and appeared to pull up injured in the second. But, showing real guts, he fought back to win, and now can’t wait to get his hands on Ivanisevic in the final.

“Bring it on, let’s see what he’s got,” said McEnroe.

“If I didn’t think I could beat him I wouldn’t step on the court. Goran hits the ball so big that you really have to react fast, but that’s what I want – to play these guys at their best.”

The battle for third and fourth positions will take place between Swedish pair Anders Jarryd and Mikael Pernfors. Jarryd overcame Petr Korda, while Pernfors lost to Thomas Muster, and just about went through.

There will be more than just pride at stake between Jarryd and Pernfors.

Both are currently outside the qualification positions for the season-ending Masters at the Royal Albert Hall, so there is a real incentive for one of them to get the additional 75 points for finishing third here in Essen.

Players compete for points throughout the year to qualify for The Champions Masters which takes place between November 29 and December 4. The top ten players in the Stanford Financial Champions Tour Rankings after all events are complete will qualify automatically. The field in London will increase to 12 with the addition of two wild cards. There is a $100,000 prize on offer for the winner in London.

To be eligible to compete on the ATP Champions Tour, players must have been either a World No.1 during their competitive playing careers, a Grand Slam singles finalist, or a singles player on a victorious Davis Cup team, and no longer active on the ATP tour. Each event can also invite two players of its choice to take wild cards.

Sunday, October 30, 2005

3rd/4th place play-off
Anders Jarryd d. Mikael Pernfors 6-3, 7-6

The Final
Goran Ivanisevic d. John McEnroe 6-3, 6-4 :P :D

Congratulations B)

Road To London Concludes With Goran On Fire

Goran Ivanisevic believes he is playing better tennis now than when he last appeared at Wimbledon in 2004.

The Croatian defeated John McEnroe 6-3, 6-4 to win the Deichmann Champions Trophy in Essen, and further extended his lead at the top of the Stanford Financial Champions Tour Rankings.

“I am playing much better tennis now than when I reached the third round at Wimbledon last year,” said Ivanisevic.

“I’m much more relaxed, my shoulder doesn’t hurt, my serving rhythm is better and I’m practicing hard.”

Those words will be good news for Croatian Davis Cup captain Nikki Pillic as he primes his team for their final against Slovakia in the same week as the Champions Masters.

“If they pick me to play I will be ready,” confirmed Ivanisevic.

“It’s very tough to beat me when I play like this, even for guys on the regular tour.”

While the Davis Cup final is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Ivanisevic, he once again expressed his disappointed that it meant he would not be able to play in the Champions Masters at the Royal Albert Hall after being the dominant player throughout the year.

“It’s a real shame because I committed myself to the Champions Tour, I’ve played all these tournaments throughout the year so that I could reach the Masters where the 12 best guys play in a perfect venue, and now I can’t play. I’m still young though and I want to be at the Albert Hall next year.”

The ten qualifiers for the event have now been decided.

Sweden’s Anders Jarryd forced his way into the qualification positions by finishing third in Essen. Jarryd defeated compatriot and former French Open finalist Mikael Pernfors 6-3, 7-6 in the third/fourth place play-off. Pernfors moved up to No.11 in the Stanford Financial Champions Tour Rankings, and although only the top 10 qualify automatically, he will compete in London with Ivanisevic away at the Davis Cup final.

The other two players to qualify for the season-ending event are both Dutch – the 1996 Wimbledon champion Richard Krajicek and former World No.1 doubles player, Paul Haarhuis.

The Champions Masters will take place between November 29 and December 4. The field in London will increase to 12 with the addition of two wild cards. There is a $100,000 prize on offer for the winner.

To be eligible to compete on the ATP Champions Tour, players must have been either a World No.1 during their competitive playing careers, a Grand Slam singles finalist, or a singles player on a victorious Davis Cup team, and no longer active on the ATP tour. Each event can also invite two players of its choice to take wild cards.