The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : Ginepri is champion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 26, 2005

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Sport - Tennis

Ginepri is champion

INDIANAPOLIS: Robby Ginepri won his second career title when Taylor Dent retired in the third set overcome by heat in the all-American final of the RCA Championships on Sunday.

Ginepri led 4-6, 6-0, 3-0 when fourth-seeded Dent quit, and became the first unseeded champion in Indianapolis.

``It's a little sad, winning a tournament like this,'' Ginepri said. ``But at the same time, it's a great feeling.''

Dent broke Ginepri to take a 5-4 lead and served out to win the first set. But with temperatures climbing into the 90s F (30s C), the heat index hitting 106 degrees F (41 C) and the courtside thermometer hovering near 120 F (48 C), umbrellas, fans and sports drinks offered no respite for either player.

The hard-serving style that helped Dent sweep his way into the finals without dropping a set melted, and the few balls he managed to chase down frequently lacked precision or pace.

Twice, Dent sat for several minutes with ice-filled towels draped around his neck and stomach and used ammonia smelling salts to recover. Nothing worked, and after losing nine straight games Dent could not go on. Dent said he expected to use an ice bath and perhaps intravenous fluids to cool down.

Schnyder triumphs

In Ohio, top-seeded Patty Schnyder of Switzerland found her serve in time to beat Akiko Morigami of Japan 6-4, 6-0 in the final of the Cincinnati Women's Open on Sunday.

Schnyder needed three service breaks in the first set to overcome her own lapses, then dominated the second set to win her 10th WTA Tour title.

Garrigues keeps trophy

In Palermo (Sicily), defending champion Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain won the Palermo International for a record third time on Sunday, beating Klara Koukalova of the Czech Republic 6-4, 6-0.

Medina Garrigues also won the clay-court tournament in 2001.The Spaniard became the first three-time winner in the tournament's 15-year history.

The results (all finals):

At Indianapolis: (RCA Championships): Final: Singles: Robby Ginepri bt Taylor Dent 4-6, 6-0, 3-0 (retired). Doubles: Paul Hanley/Graydon Oliver bt Simon Aspelin/Todd Perry 6-2, 3-1 (retired).

At Cincinnati: (Cincinnati women's open): Final: Singles: Patty Schnyder bt Akiko Morigami 6-4, 6-0. Doubles: Laura Granville/Abigail Spears bt Kveta Peschke/Maria Emilia Salerni 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

At Palermo: Anabel Medina Garrigues bt Klara Koukalova 6-4, 6-0.

In Austria (ATP Generali open): Singles (first round): Robin Vik bt Peter Luczak 6-3, 7-6(4); Alessio Di Mauro bt Raemon Sluiter 6-2, 6-3. — AP

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