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Safin looks to end the season on a high note
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia (AP)
Defending champion Marat Safin of Russia took his second title
this season after coming back from one set down to beat Rainer
Schuettler of Germany 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 in Sunday's final of the
$800,000 St. Petersburg Open tennis tournament.
It was Safin's 10th career title. He captured his first title
this season last month in Tashkent where he beat compatriot
Yevgeny Kafelnikov in straight sets in the first all-Russian
ATP final.
The 25-year-old Schuettler, who was playing in his third final
this year, was broken in the opening game of the first set,
but broke back in the next game. He broke third-seeded Safin
again in the fourth game and jumped to a comfortable 4-1 lead.
Safin broke his racket in anger after the loss.
Schuettler saved two breakpoints in the ninth game to take the
set.
"Yesterday I played six sets and I was dead today on the
court," said Safin, who reached the doubles finals as well.
He was wearing a brace on his knee and was visibly tired.
But Safin had no intention of giving up. He needed one break
in the second game of the second set to win it and stay in the
match.
In the decisive third set, Safin got the first break in the
third game and then again in the ninth to win the set, the match
and the tournament.
Schuettler won a tournament in Shanghai in mid-September and
was runner-up to Marcelo Rios in Hong Kong. On his way to the
St. Petersburg final, Schuettler upset top-seed Juan Carlos
Ferrero of Spain in the first round.
Safin upset second-seeded Kafelnikov in the semifinals Saturday
and beat fifth-seeded Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic of
Croatia in the quarterfinals.
Safin is 11th on the ATP Champions Race and the victory will
improve his chances of qualifying for the Tennis Masters Cup
in Sydney in November if he performs strongly at the tournament
in Paris next week.
"Of course I have to win there (in Paris), but how far
the other players advance will determine that," Safin said.
"It's really difficult. I probably have no chance to go
to Sydney because it's not just up to me."
In the doubles final, Russians Denis Golovanov and Kafelnikov
defeated Irakli Labadze of Georgia and Safin, 7-5, 6-4.
sportsillustrated.cnn.com
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