SirBloody Idiot
Cricketer Of The Year
Internazionali BNL d’Italia (Semifinals) - Apr 27- May 3 Season I
Cheers
Internazionali BNL d’Italia
Semifinals - Rome
Draw - Section One
Draw - Section Two
Draw - Section Three
Draw - Section Four
Finals
Seeds
World number three Daniel Páez Blanco will head into the ATP Masters Series Rome final as overwhelming favourite after surviving a blockbuster three-set clash with world number one Jason Hall. In their second meeting in as many weeks, Blanco took the early initiative as he went ahead a break against the American star. But Hall, who continues to improve on clay, ensured he wouldn't fall behind as he broke back immediately to level the first set at 3-3. The first went to a tiebreaker, and in a marathon decider Blanco surged ahead after having squandered four earlier set points. The previous meeting between the pair saw Blanco advance in straight sets (64 63), and the top seed was obviously intent on not letting the same thing occur as he snagged an early break on the serve of the Spaniard. The break proved decisive as the world number one wrapped up the set with a service game to love to level the match at one set each. But, as has been the case in many of his clay matches this season, Blanco looked just as fresh in the third as he did in the first; the super-fit third seed pulling away thanks to early breaks of service to advance to his fifth clay final 76(8) 46 62.
In the other semifinal, the dream run of Italy's Carlo Amato came to a disappointing end as he was beaten in a dramatic three-set clash with Hungarian József Boros. Many pundits were looking forward to an Amato-Blanco final, but it looked as if Boros would make light work of the normally aggressive Amato after a dominant first set. Boros set about taking the pace off the ball against a man who only knows one gear; Amato struggling to lay a clean racquet on the ball as he sent the ball spraying around the disappointed Rome crowd. But after dropping the first set 1-6, Amato took the initiative as he came out aggressively and romped to a 5-1 lead. After sealing the second 6-3, Amato looked to continue to overpower his Hungarian opponent; but Boros seemed to have collected his thoughts in the break between sets as he worked hard to stick with the Italian dynamo. It seemed fitting that such an intriguing match would head to a tiebreaker, and it was there that Boros broke the hearts of the Rome crowd as he sealed a dramatic 61 36 76(4) victory.
Seeds Out: 1-Jason Hall (USA).
Cheers
Internazionali BNL d’Italia
Semifinals - Rome
Draw - Section One
Draw - Section Two
Draw - Section Three
Draw - Section Four
Finals
Seeds
World number three Daniel Páez Blanco will head into the ATP Masters Series Rome final as overwhelming favourite after surviving a blockbuster three-set clash with world number one Jason Hall. In their second meeting in as many weeks, Blanco took the early initiative as he went ahead a break against the American star. But Hall, who continues to improve on clay, ensured he wouldn't fall behind as he broke back immediately to level the first set at 3-3. The first went to a tiebreaker, and in a marathon decider Blanco surged ahead after having squandered four earlier set points. The previous meeting between the pair saw Blanco advance in straight sets (64 63), and the top seed was obviously intent on not letting the same thing occur as he snagged an early break on the serve of the Spaniard. The break proved decisive as the world number one wrapped up the set with a service game to love to level the match at one set each. But, as has been the case in many of his clay matches this season, Blanco looked just as fresh in the third as he did in the first; the super-fit third seed pulling away thanks to early breaks of service to advance to his fifth clay final 76(8) 46 62.
In the other semifinal, the dream run of Italy's Carlo Amato came to a disappointing end as he was beaten in a dramatic three-set clash with Hungarian József Boros. Many pundits were looking forward to an Amato-Blanco final, but it looked as if Boros would make light work of the normally aggressive Amato after a dominant first set. Boros set about taking the pace off the ball against a man who only knows one gear; Amato struggling to lay a clean racquet on the ball as he sent the ball spraying around the disappointed Rome crowd. But after dropping the first set 1-6, Amato took the initiative as he came out aggressively and romped to a 5-1 lead. After sealing the second 6-3, Amato looked to continue to overpower his Hungarian opponent; but Boros seemed to have collected his thoughts in the break between sets as he worked hard to stick with the Italian dynamo. It seemed fitting that such an intriguing match would head to a tiebreaker, and it was there that Boros broke the hearts of the Rome crowd as he sealed a dramatic 61 36 76(4) victory.
Seeds Out: 1-Jason Hall (USA).
