Hrbaty wins in Marseille
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ByEurosport
Published 29/02/2004 at 16:39 GMT
Slovakia's Dominik Hrbaty won the Marseille Open with a 4-6 6-4 6-4 victory over Swedish teenager Robin Soderling on Sunday. The 19-year-old Soderling started strongly breaking Hrbaty's serve in the ninth game of the match and clinched the first set with
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Hrbaty, who is ranked 44th in the world but is seventh in this year's ATP Race after also winning in Adelaide and Auckland, stepped up the rhythm of his baseline play in the second set and clinched it 6-4 on Soderling's serve.
In the third set, the Slovak saved two break points at 3-3 before grabbing the game with an ace but the Swede then levelled at 4-4.
Hrbaty held serve to go 5-4 up then spoke to the ATP doctor because he suffered from a fever overnight before he resumed and sealed victory in the next game on his first match point.
"Robin has a great future, he just needs to learn a few tricks," said the 26-year-old Slovak. "It was a bit unfair to ask for a medical break at 5-4 in the third set but I wasn't feeling well and I needed a rest."
Soderling praised Hrbaty and said if he continued on his current form he should eventually crack the top ranks this year.
"You have won three times and it's only February, just carry on like that and you will quickly enter the top 10," he said.
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