Derepasko sets up title clash with Marach

By Nandakumar Marar

MUMBAI, MARCH 9. Artem Derepasko looked a top seed in turmoil, his body language conveying a player already approaching physical and mental limits after five days of tennis in a city getting hotter with every day. Tomas Cakl appeared a man in a hurry, moving about the National Sports Club of India courts in a business-like manner, wanting to find out whether he could extend the fabulous form for two more matches.

It was not to be as the top seeded Russian dug deep into reserves of determination, winning a battle of nerves lasting almost two- and-a-half hours against the fifth seed from Czech Republic in the first singles semifinal of the International Tennis Federation's men's Satellite circuit. Derepasko won 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2), heaving a sigh of relief when the third set tie-breaker ended.

The top seed has been forced into the third set from the first round onwards of this Mumbai leg, except the quarterfinal against Donovan September, relying on his experience to pull him through. Saturday's final against third seed Oliver Marach may turn out to be another long-drawn battle from the baseline. The Austrian came through his semifinal with comparative ease, putting an end to Russian qualifier Michail Elgin's run with an emphatic 6-1, 6-4 victory, accomplished in 66 minutes, aided by three breaks in the first and one in the second.

The Greek pair of Konstantinos Economidis and Nikos Rovas clinched the men's doubles title, worth $ US 197 each as prize money, but after being given a fright by James Auckland and Simon Dickson, the qualifiers from Great Britain, before winning 7-6 (7-3), 3-6, 6-4. Economidis, unlucky to run into an inform Michail Elgin in the singles quarters, proved his worth in the doubles final, displaying solid strokeplay and devastating return of serve.

The Britons, who earned $ 103 each, were not prepared to go down without a fight. James Auckland's volleying skills and Dickson's court coverage coming to the fore in the second set, marked by breaks in the first and ninth games in their favour, before the Greek pair came roaring back into form in the decider.

Cakl has been a difficult opponent for every opponent in his half of the singles draw, hitting his way out of tight situations as seen in the quarterfinal against Pakistani Aisam Quereishi, ranked one place above in the men's singles draw. The pony-tailed Czech stands out in the army of baseliners on the ITF circuit with his net-rushing game, not afraid to take risks without bothering about the quality of the opposition.

He attacked right from the start, despite losing serve as early as the second game of the match after being wrong-footed by Derepasko's tricky forehands, his body movements sending the Czech the other way. It was not long before Cakl starting asserting himself, approaching the net at the first opportunity.

He exploited the top seed's weaker backhand, stepping up and putting away weak volleys coming over the net, slashing the ball across for winners. Derepasko was left cursing at himself and banging his racquet in frustration, serving an ace and a double- fault in the same game, as a confident Cakl raced ahead 5-3, helped by a break in the eighth.

The Czech's relentless assault continued in the second set, the backhands hit with such control and power that Derepasko was left stranded on the baseline. The only respite for the top seed came in the third game, when Cakl committed a double-fault and netted a couple of volleys he would have put away with ease earlier. The concentration lapses cost him a break in the fourth game, down 1- 3.

Emboldened by the turn of events, the top seed launched his comeback, starting off with adventurous, but risky drop shots from the baseline which earned a few bonus points, followed by more conventional shots, falling back on his forehands to get two service breaks, fourth and eighth, to take the semifinal into the decider.

Tiredness had set in by then, reducing the pace of the third set even as unforced errors became more frequent, the rallies shorter. Games went with serves till the fifth game when a harassed Derepasko flew into a rage over a line call. He was right in questioning the call, but had no business to lose his composure, taking a wild swipe at the next ball and flinging his racket across the court in anger and frustration.

Fortune favoured him in the form of a break in the very next game, a subdued Cakl broken in the sixth as the scores levelled at 3-3. From that point onwards, Derepasko worked his way step by step towards a hard-fought victory, tightening up his game and hitting a couple of exquisite shots, one forehand down- the-line winner hit after picking the spot exciting him so much that a clenched-fist celebration was followed by a self congratulatory ``wow.'' The applause at the end must still be ringing in his ears.

Elgin's quarterfinal against Economidis which went to three sets saw the normally ebullient Russian qualifier just going through the motions against Marach. The big serve was missing, so was the punch in the groundstrokes to trouble the third seeded Austrian in the second semifinal.

Results: Men's singles (semifinals): 1-Artem Derepasko (Russia) bt 5-Tomas Cakl (Czech Republic) 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-2); 3-Oliver Marach (Austria) bt Michail Elgin (Russia) 6-1, 6-4.

Men's doubles (final): Konstantinos Economidis/Nikos Rovas (Greece) bt James Auckland/Simon Dickson (Great Britain) 7-6 (7- 3), 3-6, 6-4.

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