GASQUET, GARCIA-LOPEZ, AND ESTRELLA BURGOS MAKE IT A CLEAN SWEEP FOR VETERANS BY RICKY DIMON

Written by: Staff on 9th February 2015

GASQUET, GARCIA-LOPEZ, AND ESTRELLA BURGOS MAKE IT A CLEAN SWEEP FOR VETERANS BY RICKY DIMON

epa04577907 Richard Gasquet of France in action against Kevin Anderson of South Africa in their third round match at the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 23 January 2015. The Australian Open tennis tournament runs from 19 January until 01 February 2015. EPA/Filip Singer |

Gasquet, Garcia-Lopez, and Estrella Burgos make it a clean sweep for veterans

By Ricky Dimon

This past week’s ATP title winners have a combined 39 years–13 each–of experience on the professional tour. Richard Gasquet, Guillermo Garcia-Lopez, and Victor Estrella Burgos triumphed on Sunday and all three of them turned pro back in 2002.

Gasquet is no stranger to success at the Open Sud de France. Already a two-time champion in Montpellier, the Frenchman prevailed in routine fashion over an ill Jerzy Janowicz to lift a third trophy at the event. Janowicz retired while trailing 3-0 after losing all 14 points in the match.

“I knew he was sick when we were warming up,” Gasquet said of his opponent. “I saw very quickly at the beginning of the match that he couldn’t play at all. Anything can happen, so even though I knew he was sick, I stayed focused. I had a great week, with solid matches.”

Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain celebrates winning against Andreas Seppi of Italy during their Zagreb Indors Final tennis match in Zagreb, Croatia, 08 February 2015. EPA/ANTONIO BAT

Garcia-Lopez had an outstanding week in Zagreb, where he maintained momentum from a fourth-round showing at the Australian Open by winning the PBZ Zagreb Indoors. The 31-year-old Spaniard beat Andreas Seppi, also a fourth-round finisher Down Under, 7-6(4), 6-3 in the final.

“You don’t win a tournament every week,” assured Garcia-Lopez, who now has four ATP titles in his career. “It was an emotional moment. I was thinking about those moments when you are working hard, practicing a lot, spending a lot of hours on court. Every title is of course a really good moment for players, so this one is a nice one, for sure.”

For no player was last week more emotional than it was for Estrella Burgos. At 34 years old, the Dominican Republic native became the oldest first-time ATP Tour title winner when he outlasted Feliciano Lopez 6-2, 6-7(5), 7-6(5) at the Ecuador Open in Quito. Estrella Burgos lost a set lead and also a 4-1 advantage in the third set, but he recovered to survive a decisive tiebreaker.

“The truth is that Quito has become a very special city for me,” the current world No. 52 commented. “It actually already was, as I’ve won Challengers here. Today has been a very tough day for me where I was a set up, and later I lost the (second-set) tiebreak. In the third set I was up a break and I didn’t manage the nerves well. I got a little bit nervous, but thanks to God I relaxed a bit in the tiebreak and I was able to win the match.”

Briefs

* Gasquet climbs four spots to No. 24 in the world with Montpellier title.

* Garcia-Lopez up six places to 27th after triumphing in Zagreb.

* Estrella Burgos wins first title in Quito, reaches career-high mark of No. 52.

* Smyczek wins Dallas Challenger, soars 23 positions to 80th in the world.

* 18-year-old Chung prevails at Burnie Challenger, up to No. 129.

* Desein beats fellow Belgian Bemelmans in Glasgow, climbs to 155th.

* Injured Cilic falls to No. 10, passed by Wawrinka and Ferrer.

Ricky contributes to 10sballs.com and also maintains his own tennis website, The Grandstand.

10sBalls.com Editors Note. Thank goodness the event had an awesome doubles finals in Montpelier.

Otherwise the fans were messed up by a singles final that lasted less than a half hour including the warm up. (Due to illness)

It was an awesome Doubles final. Won by Artem Sitak and Marcus Danielle “The Kiwis ” 3-6,6-4,16-14 .

Topics: Atp, Guillermo Garcia Lopez, Montpellier, Open Sud de France, PBZ Zagreb Indoors, Richard Gasquet, Ricky Dimon, Sports, Tennis News

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10sBalls_com says:

February 9, 2015 at 1:55 pm

@richardgasquet1, @GuillermoGLopez, AND ESTRELLA BURGOS MAKE IT A CLEAN SWEEP FOR VETERANS BY @Dimonator- http://t.co/QdM392rIS1 #tennis
Dimonator says:

February 9, 2015 at 2:06 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: @richardgasquet1, @GuillermoGLopez, AND ESTRELLA BURGOS MAKE IT A CLEAN SWEEP FOR VETERANS BY @Dimonator- http://t.co/Qd…
dusanVemic says:

February 9, 2015 at 3:18 pm

RT @10sBalls_com: @richardgasquet1, @GuillermoGLopez, AND ESTRELLA BURGOS MAKE IT A CLEAN SWEEP FOR VETERANS BY @Dimonator- http://t.co/Qd…