TENNIS in DEPTH.

Juan Monaco claimed a straight sets win over top seed Fernando Verdasco to reach the semi-finals of the Abierto Mexicano Telcel tournament in Acapulco.

Seventh seed Monaco continued his impressive form during the Latin American clay-court season to overcome Verdasco 7-5 6-3.

Monaco, the world number 30, reached the final in Santiago at the start of the month before reaching the semi-finals in Buenos Aires, where he lost to eventual champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, last week.

The Argentinian will get his chance of revenge against Ferrero in the last four after the 30-year-old former world number one eliminated two-time defending champion Nicolas Almagro 6-1 5-7 6-2.

Second seed Fernando Gonzalez avoided an upset when he battled back from a set down against Argentinian qualifier Eduardo Schwank 3-6 6-3 7-5 in a match that lasted two hours and 13 minutes.

The Chilean will next play third seed David Ferrer who reached his third consecutive semi-final with a comfortable 7-5 6-4 victory over Uruguay’s Pablo Cuevas.

Ferrer broke his opponent four times and did not give up a break on his own service.

Related Posts:

• Add Verdasco to Spain’s injury list.
• Verdasco loses his first match in Memphis.
• Roddick and Verdasco likely to meet again in Memphis.

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Ernests Gulbis and Juan Monaco are both on court today at the Sweden Open in Stockholm. So what? Neither player is fighting for a season ending ranking improvement or a place in the Barclays London finals, and neither of them have much to lose or gain by winning or losing. Gulbis is playing Feliciano Lopez, and Monaco is playing the young local hero Joachim Johansson.

It is this same Johansson who is reportedly to have blown the whistle on both Gulbis and Monaco for their procurement of prostitutes for sex. A minor charge in sexually liberated Sweden, where the prostitutes get off free while the ‘John’ pays a fine. It’s more of an embarrassment than anything else, but both of the accused are single, probably horny, and looking to have a little fun away from home in exotic Sweden. No harm done!

There is an unwritten code among the players of the ATP, sorta like a club or gang, where each looks out for the other, and as professionals in the same sport it is unthinkable that some upstart would point the finger at a fellow player.

The ‘match of the day’ is the final match on centre court between Juan Monaco and Joachim ‘Pimp-Pimp’ Johansson, and it will be interesting to witness how Monaco responds when facing his accuser. I just hope he beats the crap out of him!

Related Posts:

• Gulbis breaks his maiden with a victory in Delray Beach.
• Verdasco is ousted by Juan Monaco in Acapulco.
• Montanes wins 2009 Bucharest Open.

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Albert Montanes won his second ATP World Tour title of the season after edging third seed Juan Monaco 7-6(2), 7-6(6) Sunday in the final of the BCR Open Romania, an ATP World Tour 250 clay-court tennis tournament in Bucharest.

Montanes is the third Spanish played this season, together with Rafael Nadal (five titles) and Tommy Robredo (two titles), to win at least two ATP World Tour titles. He received 250 South African Airways 2009 ATP Ranking points and €71,700, while runner-up Monaco earned 150 Ranking points and €37,700 in prize money.

Barcelona-resident Montanes is the first Spaniard to win the BCR Open Romania title since David Sanchez lifted the trophy in 2003. Montanes himself had nearly claimed the title two years earlier, when he finished runner-up to Younes El Aynaoui on his tournament debut.

Related Posts:

• Verdasco is ousted by Juan Monaco in Acapulco.
• Pay back time in Stockholm.
• #1 seed Hanescu out of Bucharest Open.

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Second seed Robin Soderling overcame Juan Monaco in straight sets to win the Catella Swedish Open in Bastad this afternoon.

The 24-year-old French Open finalist triumphed 6-3 7-6 (7/4) over the unseeded Argentinian to claim his first claycourt title and become the first Swedish winner in Bastad since his coach Magnus Norman in 2000.

Soderling’s victory was his fourth in succession against Monaco and improves his head-to-head record to 4-1. Their previous meeting also came in Sweden, with Soderling prevailing in Stockholm last year.

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• Soderling v. Monaco in Sunday’s final.
• Verdasco is ousted by Juan Monaco in Acapulco.
• Llodra saves his best tennis for Marseille.

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Robin Soderling won the battle of the Swedes against Andreas Vinciguerra to reach the final of the Catella Swedish Open in Bastad on Saturday.

The French Open finalist, who will face Argentina’s Juan Monaco in Sunday’s showpiece, met strong resistance from the wild card in the second set before coming through 6-1 7-6 (8/6).

Monaco reached his second ATP Tour final of the season with a stunning 6-0 6-2 victory over defending champion Tommy Robredo.

In beating the third seed, Monaco ensured there would be a non-Spanish winner of the clay-court event for the first time in five years.

Second seed Soderling and Monaco have met four times before, with the Swede winning the last three. Their last match also came in Sweden, with Soderling triumphing in Stockholm last year.

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• Soderling wins Swedish Open!
• Verdasco is ousted by Juan Monaco in Acapulco.
• Llodra saves his best tennis for Marseille.

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Top seed Fernando Verdasco limped out of the Catella Swedish Open quarter-finals on Friday but defending champion Tommy Robredo made it safely through to the last four.

Verdasco, the world number nine, pulled a calf muscle in the first game of his match against Juan Monaco and although he attempted to soldier on, the Spaniard was 1-6 1-3 down when he called it a day after 55 minutes.

“I had real pain when serving, especially since the injury was in my my right leg,” said Verdasco.

“It was not easy for me – I tried to continue playing but when I saw that I had no chance to win I retired before injuring myself further.”

Monaco will now face Robredo, who claimed the title in Bastad last year and in 2006.

The third seed needed 77 minutes to see off Georgia’s Teimuraz Gabashvili 6-4 6-0 and is on course for a third claycourt title of 2009.

In the other half of the draw, French Open finalist Robin Soderling thrilled his home crowd by edging a tight match against another Spaniard, Nicolas Almagro.

The world number 12 was given a tough workout but crucially claimed three breaks to one to win 7-5 6-3.

It was later confirmed that a Swede would compete in the final when wildcard entrant Andreas Vinciguerra, ranked 460 in the world, stunned fourth seed Jurgen Melzer 2-6 6-4 6-3 to set up a clash with Soderling.

Vinciguerra, whose ranking peaked at 33 in 2001, has twice reached the final at Bastad but the last occasion was in 2000. His only ATP Tour tournament victory came on the hard courts of Copenhagen in the same year.

Related Posts:

• Verdasco is ousted by Juan Monaco in Acapulco.
• Verdasco loses his first match in Memphis.
• Roddick and Verdasco likely to meet again in Memphis.

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World No. 61 Juan Monaco swiftly put behind him the disappointment of losing two Davis Cup rubbers at the weekend by booking his place in the second round of the Catella Swedish Open. The Argentine ousted his eighth-seeded countryman Maximo Gonzalez 7-6(4), 3-6, 6-1 on Tuesday at the ATP World Tour 250 clay-court tennis tournament in Bastad.

The 25-year-old Monaco twice trailed by a break of serve in the first set before clinching it on a tie-break and rallied from dropping the second set to break serve three times in the deciding set to seal victory after two hours and 18 minutes. The Tandil native is making his fourth appearance in Bastad and reached the quarter-finals on his debut in 2004 (l. to F. Gonzalez).

Argentine qualifier Guillermo Canas dismissed the challenge of Bulgarian wild card Grigor Dimitrov 6-3, 7-6(2) to set up a second-round meeting with Swede Andreas Vinciguerra. Former World No. 8 Canas, currently at No. 151 in the South African Airways 2009 ATP Rankings, is making his fourth appearance in Bastad and was a quarter-finalist in 2002 (l. to Calleri).

Related Posts:

• Verdasco is ousted by Juan Monaco in Acapulco.
• Watch for Dimitrov to move up the rankings in 2010.
• Pay back time in Stockholm.

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