Del Potro Defends Basel, Youzhny Caps Off Career Year In Valencia
ATP Basel
Juan Martin Del Potro continued his utter domination of 500 level events and defended his Basel title with a 7-6, 2-6, 6-4 victory over Roger Federer in a rematch of last years final.
Del Potro has claimed three other 500 titles this year and is an amazing 23-1 in 500 events this year.
Del Potro started sharp though Federer also played well, and he needed a tiebreak to take the first set after failing to serve it out. In set 2, Federer continued playing some of his best tennis this year and roared into a 3rd set with ease. But Del Potro would have that extra gear that would propel him to victory in the end.
By virtue of making the final, Federer has almost assuredly qualified for the World Tour finals, and he did so in style at home beating Adrian Mannarino, Denis Istomin in 3 sets, Grigor Dimitrov in straights and Vasek Pospisil in a close 3 setter. Pospisil breaks into the top 50 with another deep run in an ATP event.
Del Potro beat Henri Laaksonen, Marcos Baghdatis and Paul-Henri Mathieu, all in straights, and then needed 3 ugly sets to dispatch Edouard Roger-Vasselin. ERV was a surprise semifinalist and he has also had a good year of tennis, upsetting Stan Wawrinka in round 1.
Treat Huey/Dominic Inglot are the doubles champions. They toppled Julian Knowle/Olivier Marach in the final.
ATP Valencia‘
Mikhail Youzhny soars back into the top 15 after a great year of tennis, and he captured his second ATP title of the year in his third final of the year, 6-3, 7-5 over David Ferrer. Youzhny beat Bernard Tomic, Philipp Kohlschreiber, Jarkko Nieminen (in 3 sets) and Dmitry Tursunov en route to the final.
Ferrer showed renewed form but lost his second straight ATP final. He beat Gael Monfils, Julien Benneteau, Jerzy Janowicz, and Nicolas Almagro on the way to that final. The Spaniard is now just 2-6 in ATP finals this year and his level has clearly dropped.
Alex Peya and Bruno Soares, the number 2 doubles team in the world, beat the number 1 doubles team, the Bryans, and saved four match points in the process to take the title in Valencia. They have 5 titles together this year and retained their Valencia title from last year.
—Steen Kirby, Tennis East Coast
Tennis Atlantic 