http://www.atptennis.com/en/newsandscores/news/2004/dubai_saturday.asp (節錄)
Federer & Lopez to Clash in Dubai Final
Spaniard Feliciano Lopez, the world's top left-handed male tennis player,
reached his first ATP final with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 victory over Russian Mikhail
Youzhny in the semifinals of The Dubai Tennis Championships. In a match-up of
a contrast in styles and looks, Lopez served his way to overcome the Russian.
Lopez backed up his serving with all-round play including control, versatility
and mixtures of pace which ultimately dominated rallies and created easy
volleys to put away.
Top seed and INDESIT ATP 2004 Race leader Roger Federer trailed the first set
statistics but scraped out with the first set in a tie-breaker 9-7. Jarkko
Nieminen held three sets points in the first set tie-breaker but the
"Flying Finn" experienced first hand why his opponent is the number one when
Federer stepped up with attacking play and ruthless risk-taking. The set
points was the last time Nieminen smelt any opportunities as Federer, in true
number one fashion, chased the lines and dominated the second set with a
magical display of dazzling tennis.
WHAT THE PLAYERS SAID
Lopez:"It was a really close match. I played really well at
the beginning, then in the second set he was serving so well I couldn't find
a way to break him and then he broke me at 4-5. In the third set, it was
50/50 of who would win until 4-4, I broke and then held my serve."
(First ATP final) "I'm so happy. This is my first ATP final and it's at a
very big tournament here in Dubai. It's not a small tournament so when you
win matches you get so many points and you go up in the rankings and that's
the most important thing."
(Bad start to the year) "I played the Davis Cup final in December and then
went back home to Spain. However, I did not have time to really prepare for
January. In February I played Davis Cup and then took three weeks off with no
tournaments, just practicing and training hard, that's why I play good now."
(Playing Federer in the final) "I played Roger twice last year. When we
played in Wimbledon, I played really good, but he was playing unbelievable at
the time. Then we played in Madrid (indoors), I was really close to winning. I
had 64 44 and 0-40 on his serve and then got out of it and I lost my
opportunity. It's not easy to play against Roger, he's the best player in the
world. I told everybody two years ago that he would become number one. I just
have to go on court and do the best I can and to put him in trouble. If he
plays good everybody knows he will be difficult.
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