27.10.07
Tennis spectators that filled SCC Peterburgsky stadium today were rewarded with a breathtaking and spectacular match.
The tennis performed Saturday evening by Mikhail Youzhny and Andy Murray was worth a final. The favorite player of the St. Petersburg audience lost though was close to the victory. The course of the match changed so many times!
The beginning of the match was no good for Youzhny, with Murray leading 4-0 by the fifteenth minute. It was only at that moment that Youzhny managed to take his serve, though it was not enough to save the set - Murray won 6-2. In the second set however the players started a real fight. Both players took their serves up to the 12th game, and at 6-5 Youzhny managed to break his opponent, which was enough for Youzhny to win the set (7-5) and square the match. The Russian led in the beginning of the third set, Murray dropping his serve in the third game, which let Youzhny lead the score at 4-1 and then 5-2. At 5-3 Youzhny served for match, led 30:0 and had a match point that he finally lost. "If you lose, someone wins" - a famous football truth may be applied to tennis. Murray took the initiative and led the set to a tie-break that he won 6-2, 5-7, 7-6(2). It is obviously not by chance that the young Scot is considered by the specialists one of Federer`s successors!
Right after the defeat of the audience`s favorite there was the second semifinal match - Fernando Verdasco (Spain) vs. Marin Cilic (Croatia). The second finalist is Verdasco who needed just over an hour to beat the Croat. Unlike the first semifinal match, the advantage of one player was not so obviously seen. The match was close up to the fifth game but the experienced Spaniard took the initiative with no intention to later lose it. After an easy victory in the first set (6-2), he led in the second one at 4-1 and four games later guaranteed himself a spot in the finals (6-3).
The second doubles finalist was also defined this evening (these are Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic), the first finalists being Jurgen Melzer anâ Todd Perry seeded fourth who made their way to the finals yesterday. Tomorrow at 4 p.m. the two teams will fight for the St.Petersburg Open-2007 title. After the doubles final match the second seeded Andy Murray will compete with Fernando Verdasco (#6) for the tournament title and the cheque for $ 142, 000.
