Zabaleta Halts Gaudio's Win Streak to Defend Bastad Title

July 12, 2004

Defending champion Mariano Zabaleta defeated best friend and Roland Garros
champion Gaston Gaudio 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(4) in the all-Argentine final of the
Synsam Swedish Open, played on Monday due to weekend rain. Zabaleta held
match point at 6-5 15/40 in the third set but had to wait until his third
match point in the tie-break to close out the match and win his second
consecutive title in Bastad.

Zabaleta twice had a break of serve in the third set but on both occasions
Gaudio broke back and leveled the match. But Gaudio was unable to build on
his 13-match winning streak, which dated back to the ARAG ATP World Team
Championship.

Zabaleta kept his promise to swim in the cold ocean waters on the Bastad
coast after winning the final.

The all-Argentine final in Bastad was a first for the tournament. It was the
second time in the tournament’s history that the final was played on Monday.
In 1981 Thierry Tulasne defeated Anders Jarryd on a Monday.

WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID:

Zabaleta: “I am very happy to win my second consecutive title here in Bastad.
To defeat Gaston in the final is amazing since he is a great player, the
winner of Roland Garros, and I am very happy that we both reached the final.

“When you feel good in a tournament things happen. I will come back next
year since I love this tournament. I feel more mature this year than last
year and I hope that if I am healthy I can achieve my goals.”

Gaudio: “I want to congratulate my best friend Mariano for winning this
tournament. He played very well during the whole week and he is a well
deserved winner. It has been a great week for me anyhow and I felt really
well at this my first tournament after Roland Garros.

“I had a great time here and I am sure I will be back next year. This is a
great tournament.”

Jonas Bjorkman claimed his fourth Synsam Swedish Open doubles title when he
teamed with Mahesh Bhupathi to defeat Simon Aspelin and Todd Perry 4-6,7-6(2),
7-6(6) in the final. Bjorkman is now tied with fellow Swede Anders Jarryd;
both players won four Bastad titles with 3 different partners. Bjorkman
continued his success from Wimbledon, where he won a third straight title
with Todd Woodbridge.

Aspelin/Perry were playing their second tournament as a team, and served for
the match at 6-4, 5-4. Both were quarterfinalists last week at Wimbledon in
their first tournament together.

Bhupathi said: “It has been a great week for me. This was the second time we
played together and to play with Jonas here in Sweden is something special. I
had a great time here and I hope to come back again next year to defend the
title.”