Lapentti and Schalken Reach First Final of Year
October 15, 2000 - 0:0
TOKYO Nicolas Lapentti of Ecuador and Dutchman Sjeng Schalken won their Japan Open semifinals on Saturday to reach their first ATP Tour final of the year.
Lapentti beat an error-prone Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia 6-3 6-4 while Schalken earned a crack at the fourth seed by edging past Moroccan Hicham Arazi 4-6 6-3 7-6.
Seventh seed Hrbaty made a dismal start with 10 unforced errors in the first three games.
Lapentti then broke his opponent in the third game of the second set as he twice drew in Hrbaty and watched him strike easy volleys into the net.
"It was a great feeling when he missed that last, easy volley," Lapentti said. "I've been playing good tennis all through the week. Hopefully, I can play at the same level tomorrow." Lapentti barely survived his first match of the tournament because of a stomach upset and has restricted his diet to an easily digestible combination of chicken, rice and toast to prevent the problem recurring.
"If I win this week and next week at the tournament in Shanghai, I'm going to eat the same thing," Lapentti said.
Lapentti, currently 23rd in the ATP champions race, has beaten the smooth-swinging Schalken three times in their four meetings.
Schalken, not so sharp from the baseline as he was in Friday's quarterfinal upset victory over his Wimbledon conqueror Mark Philippoussis, made fewer mistakes against Arazi especially in the crucial deciding set tiebreak which he took 9-7.
The 12th-seeded Dutchman fought off two match points in the 12th game of the third set to force the tiebreak and then found himself 4-2 down.
But the tables turned as a lucky net cord went Schalken's way and the eighth seed lost patience in the long rallies and made two unforced errors on the final four points.
Top seed Julie Halard-Decugis of France reached her second successive women's final by defeating fifth seed Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand 7-6 6-0.
Halard-Decugis put pressure on Tanasugarn in the first set tiebreak by taking her serve well within the baseline. She won it 7-5 then demolished her rival in the second set.
"I didn't want to be out there for a long time today. I needed to stay fresh if I am to have a chance to win tomorrow," Halard-Decugis said.
She will play American number two seed and defending champion Amy Frazier.
(Reuter)
Lapentti beat an error-prone Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia 6-3 6-4 while Schalken earned a crack at the fourth seed by edging past Moroccan Hicham Arazi 4-6 6-3 7-6.
Seventh seed Hrbaty made a dismal start with 10 unforced errors in the first three games.
Lapentti then broke his opponent in the third game of the second set as he twice drew in Hrbaty and watched him strike easy volleys into the net.
"It was a great feeling when he missed that last, easy volley," Lapentti said. "I've been playing good tennis all through the week. Hopefully, I can play at the same level tomorrow." Lapentti barely survived his first match of the tournament because of a stomach upset and has restricted his diet to an easily digestible combination of chicken, rice and toast to prevent the problem recurring.
"If I win this week and next week at the tournament in Shanghai, I'm going to eat the same thing," Lapentti said.
Lapentti, currently 23rd in the ATP champions race, has beaten the smooth-swinging Schalken three times in their four meetings.
Schalken, not so sharp from the baseline as he was in Friday's quarterfinal upset victory over his Wimbledon conqueror Mark Philippoussis, made fewer mistakes against Arazi especially in the crucial deciding set tiebreak which he took 9-7.
The 12th-seeded Dutchman fought off two match points in the 12th game of the third set to force the tiebreak and then found himself 4-2 down.
But the tables turned as a lucky net cord went Schalken's way and the eighth seed lost patience in the long rallies and made two unforced errors on the final four points.
Top seed Julie Halard-Decugis of France reached her second successive women's final by defeating fifth seed Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand 7-6 6-0.
Halard-Decugis put pressure on Tanasugarn in the first set tiebreak by taking her serve well within the baseline. She won it 7-5 then demolished her rival in the second set.
"I didn't want to be out there for a long time today. I needed to stay fresh if I am to have a chance to win tomorrow," Halard-Decugis said.
She will play American number two seed and defending champion Amy Frazier.
(Reuter)