BASTAD, Sweden – In-form Spaniard and top seed David Ferrer won his fifth ATP title of the year here Sunday beating compatriot Nicolas Almagro 6-2, 6-2. Ferrer, 30 and winning his 16th career title in what was his 31st final, eased to the title against his 26-year-old opponent, who has yet to beat him in 10 meetings. Ferrer is enjoying one of the best seasons of his career and this was his 51st win of a season that has seen him reach the French Open semifinals and push Andy Murray hard in the Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Tipsarevic lifts Mercedes Cup
Top-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia won his first title of the year by beating Juan Monaco of Argentina 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 in a rain-delayed Mercedes Cup final in Stuttgart Sunday. Tipsarevic was the only top-10 player not to have won a tournament this year. The Serb is No. 8 in the world. The second-seeded Monaco was seeking his third title of the year. “I really still don't believe I won the tournament,” Tipsarevic said.
Marin Cilic became the first home player to win the Croatia Open in 22 years Sunday by beating Marcel Granollers of Spain 6-4, 6-2 in the final in Umag. Cilic is the first Croat to claim the title since Goran Prpic won the inaugural even in 1990. It was Cilic's second title of the year, after winning at Queen's Club last month.
Vandeweghe vs. Serena
Wimbledon champion Serena Williams advanced to the Stanford Classic final after she crushed Sorana Cirstea 6-1, 6-2 Saturday and will meet fellow American Coco Vandeweghe who made her first WTA final after she overpowered Yanina Wickmayer 6-2, 3-6, 6-2. Williams, who had a superb service game during Wimbledon, struggled against Cirstea but easily controlled the tempo of the match against the Romanian, who had trouble keeping the ball in court and committed 32 unforced errors. The 6-foot-1 tall Vandeweghe, the daughter of a former Olympic swimmer, came out firing and immediately broke the Belgian with a backhand winner, then broke her again to take a 5-2 lead before she closed out the set with three service winners and a forehand down the line. Wickmayer rallied in the second set, breaking Vandeweghe to 2-0 when the American erred on a forehand, and then successfully sat on the lead with precise ground strokes. But Vandeweghe regained her edge in the third set, grabbing a break to 3-1 when Wickmayer double-faulted. The Belgian held four break points in the next game, but Vandeweghe used her booming serve to get out of trouble, taking care of two of the break points with aces. “I've worked hard on my serve and it's a big weapon for me,” Vandeweghe said. “There are a lot of matches where my serve is going to come through in the clutch. “Plus the way I'm playing off the ground it puts pressure on my opponent to make her return of serve that much better.” Wickmayer said the American's serve was the key to her win. “Even when I was there I couldn't do a lot,” Wickmayer said. “She hits pretty hard. Even her second serve bounces high and it's hard to do anything with it.
”Isner to meet Hewitt
Top seed and defending champ John Isner advanced to the final at the Hall of Fame Tennis Championships by beating fellow American Ryan Harrison 7-6 (4), 6-3 in Newport Saturday. Isner will face Australia's Lleyton Hewitt in the title match Sunday. Hewitt defeated American Rajeev Ram 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. Isner, ranked 11th, is looking to become the first repeat champion on Newport's grass courts since France's Fabrice Santoro in 2008. — Agencies
