Kiefer reigns in HK
October 8, 2000
sports.com

HONG KONG, Oct 8 (Reuters) - German Nicolas Kiefer coped expertly with the thunderbolt service game of Australia's Mark Philippoussis to win the Hong Kong Open 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 6-2 on Sunday.

Kiefer, whose stated aim before the match was to complete a weekend of German sports glory, survived a mid-match slump before emulating Germany's soccer team in their 1-0 defeat of England and Michael Schumacher in his World Championship-winning forumla One victory in Japan.

"It's a great feeling. First our soccer team, then Michael Schumacher and now me. We did it,'' said a happy Kiefer who ended last year ranked seventh in the world.

"I feel I'm playing good tennis at the moment. I think it is just a matter of time before I win my first Grand Slam,'' added Kiefer who will now go to Tokyo to play in the Japan Open.

An erratic Philippoussis, ranked 14th in the world, was no match for the determined German who took psychological advantage when he won the first
set on a tie-break.

Kiefer, ranked 18th, was put under enormous pressure from the start, surviving three breaks points in the first game of the match and then another two in the fifth game.

But he proved equal to the challenge and hung in, to force the tie-break.

Big-serving Philippoussis, who had blasted compatriot Patrick Rafter out in straight sets in the semifinals, came back strongly in the second set, breaking the German twice to win 6-2.
But it proved to be a false dawn. In the first game in the decider, Philippoussis lost his serve for the first time in the match, courtesy of two
double faults and an unforced error.

Angry and frustrated, the giant Australian smashed his racket on the ground to earn a code violation.

"I don't know where that game came from. I wish I hadn't handed over to him like that. If he had played a great game it would have been different, but this was so frustrating,'' said a disappointed Philippoussis.

Kiefer stayed cool to win the next game and then ensured his victory by breaking Philippoussis again in the third game to take a clear 3-0 lead beforewrapping up the match.

Tennis-Kiefer disarms Philippoussis to win Hong Kong Open

HONG KONG, Oct 8 (Reuters) - German Nicolas Kiefer coped expertly with the thunderbolt service game of Australia's Mark Philippoussis to win the Hong Kong Open 7-6 (7-4) 2-6 6-2 on Sunday.

Kiefer, whose stated aim before the match was to complete a weekend of German sports glory, survived a mid-match slump before emulating Germany's soccer team in their 1-0 defeat of England and Michael Schumacher in his World Championship-winning forumla One victory in Japan.

``It's a great feeling. First our soccer team, then Michael Schumacher and now me. We did it,'' said a happy Kiefer who ended last year ranked seventh in the world.

``I feel I'm playing good tennis at the moment. I think it is just a matter of time before I win my first Grand Slam,'' added Kiefer who will now go to Tokyo to play in the Japan Open.

An erratic Philippoussis, ranked 14th in the world, was no match for the determined German who took psychological advantage when he won the first set on a tie-break.

Kiefer, ranked 18th, was put under enormous pressure from the start, surviving three breaks points in the first game of the match and then another two in the fifth game.

But he proved equal to the challenge and hung in, to force the tie-break.

Big-serving Philippoussis, who had blasted compatriot Patrick Rafter out in straight sets in the semifinals, came back strongly in the second set, breaking the German twice to win 6-2.

But it proved to be a false dawn. In the first game in the decider, Philippoussis lost his serve for the first time in the match, courtesy of two double faults and an unforced error.

Angry and frustrated, the giant Australian smashed his racket on the ground to earn a code violation.

``I don't know where that game came from. I wish I hadn't handed over to him like that. If he had played a great game it would have been different, but this was so frustrating,'' said a disappointed Philippoussis.

Kiefer stayed cool to win the next game and then ensured his victory by breaking Philippoussis again in the third game to take a clear 3-0 lead before wrapping up the match.

Kiefer shoots down Scud to complete German treble

South China Morning Post

ALVIN SALLAY

Nicolas Kiefer completed his dream hat-trick yesterday
by defeating Mark Philippoussis in the final of the Salem
Open.

"We did it. It's a great feeling," said the German after his
two-hour and 11-minute battle with the Australian ace
king ended in a 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 6-2 victory.

Kiefer was, of course, referring to his country's sporting
successes this weekend. Victory over old enemy
England in a World Cup soccer qualifier and Michael
Schumacher wrapping up the Formula One driver's
championship was followed by Kiefer becoming the first
German to win the Hong Kong Open title.

"Yesterday I had hoped this would be the outcome.
Today it has happened and I'm so happy to be a
German," said the elated Kiefer.

Actually, he is half-German. His mother is French. But
who will quibble. Germany's number one player has
achieved what even the legendary Boris Becker failed to
do. Last year Becker was beaten by Andre Agassi in
the final.

Philippoussis - aiming to become the first Australian to
win this tournament since Pat Cash won in 1990 and
then embarrassed organisers by denouncing cigarettes
and smoking - could not hold off the Teutonic charge.

The big-serving Aussie was his own worst enemy. He
failed to find his range in his ground strokes and his
backhand - which Kiefer unerringly targeted - was out
of sync. And to compound Philippoussis' problems, the
booming serve let him down at a most critical stage of
the match with the scores level at one set apiece.

Serving the first game after he had won the second set,
Philippoussis suddenly lost his rhythmic serve, which
until then had earned him 14 aces. He double-faulted
twice and them made an unforced error to "gift" the
game to Kiefer.

"I don't know where that came from," said
Philippoussis, referring to his nightmarish service. "To
come out in the third set and play a game like that was a
gift. If he had played a great game and I had lost it
would have been different. But this was so frustrating."

The frustration and anger was clear for everyone at the
Victoria Park centre court to see. Philippoussis threw
his racquet down in fury, smashing it out of shape. This
earned him a code violation from the chair.

But the damage had been done to his mental game.
Kiefer then won the second game in the deciding set to
take a 2-0 lead. The 23-year-old from Hanover then
added the icing on the cake by breaking Philippoussis
again to take a 3-0 lead.

Thankfully for the racquets, it was more a case of Kiefer
winning on this occasion than the Aussie slipping up.

"I was lucky he double-faulted at the time he did. That
was a key point in the match. I knew I had to stay in the
game and I was focused on my game," said Kiefer, who
knew that he had to just hold his serve in his remaining
games to win.

Kiefer began the final shakily. In the very first game in
the first set, he saved three break points and then was
under the cosh again in the fifth game with Philippoussis
throwing everything at him to convert two break points.
Kiefer survived the early storm. Even a smashing
forehand by Philippoussis, with both feet off the ground
which sent the crowd into a frenzy, did not faze the calm
Kiefer. He just stayed put and this seemed to unsettle
Philippoussis in the tie-break.

The victory gave Kiefer a purse of just under $400,000
and it was the second title he has won this year. He won
in Dubai in February but had an awful summer, being
out through injury.

"This is a very important victory for me. I had a bad
summer as I was injured. I couldn't walk or run. I'm
glad to be back and glad to have won," said Kiefer,
who last year finished seventh in the world rankings.

But he knows that although he won here, he can never
match the feat of his more-renowned countryman
Becker, who became the youngest person to win
Wimbledon - at 17.

"I'm too old. I can't go back with my age," laughed
Kiefer when asked if he could compare himself with the
German tennis legend. Currently ranked 18th in the
ATP Champions Race, Kiefer hopes he can now start
stringing together more victories, and more frequently.

Kiefer says the most thrilling moment in his career was
when he was invited to dinner by the German soccer
team recently. "I was at the table with these guys and it
was something special."

Who knows, maybe one day he might be able to return
the compliment as a Grand Slam champion, and he is
confident that that day is not far away.

"It is just a question of when I win one. I hope it will be
soon," said Kiefer.

Kiefer defeats Philippoussis to capture Salem Open title

Copyright © 2000 Nando Media
Copyright © 2000 SportsTicker

sportserver.com

HONG KONG (October 8, 2000 11:53 a.m. EDT http://www.sportserver.com) - Nicolas Kiefer fulfilled his self-proclaimed aim of completing a German victory trifecta.


After Germany defeated England in soccer, 1-0, and Michael Schumacher captured the Formula One World Championship by winning the Japanese Grand Prix, Kiefer defeated Mark Philippoussis in three sets Sunday to claim the Salem Open.


Kiefer, the third seed, needed more than two hours to record a 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 6-2 victory over the fourth-seeded Australian in the final of the $375,000 hardcourt tennis event.


"Yes, it's great. Germany won yesterday in soccer, one-nil, Schumacker won the world championship and I won the tournament. It's a great feeling," said Kiefer, who lost just one set this week. "As I said yesterday, hopefully we're going to have a good weekend and everybody did it."


The 23-year-old Kiefer improved to 2-2 lifetime against Philippoussis, also winning in the final of the 1997 Toulouse Grand Prix. Sunday's triumph brought Kiefer his second title of the year, the sixth of his career, and $49,500.


After winning the Dubai Open in February, Kiefer was hampered by an ankle injury before reaching the U.S. Open quarterfinals, losing to eventual winner Marat Safin. He was nursing a wrist injury this week.


"This win here, it's very important for me, because I had a very bad summer," Kiefer said. "I was injured for three months, I couldn't play any tennis, I couldn't walk, I couldn't run, so I was just hanging around, doing fitness for my upper body. I'm happy to be back, and I'm glad I won here."


The defending champion at next week's Japan Open, Kiefer is not sure whether he will play in Tokyo.


"It depends on my wrist. I have to wait and see if it still hurts," he said. "I'm going to go tomorrow, and have some treatment and hopefully I'm ready for Wednesday. The wrist injury is from a long time ago, it was before the U.S. Open, and I got good treatment and it was getting better and better. Sometimes I feel it, sometimes I don't feel it."


Philippoussis was hoping to win his second tournament of the year and ninth of his career. Despite the defeat, the 23-year-old from Melbourne won four matches in a row for the first time since reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in July.


"I can't be too disappointed, I had a positive tournament and I'm going to try and keep it going next week," Philippoussis said. "I just hope to continue my positive mental approach to my game and I've worked hard since the U.S. Open and this is a good result. Obviously winning it would have been nice but I haven't played this well since the start of the year and I'm feeling good."

Kiefer Wins Hong Kong
Larson's Tennis News Wire - added on October 8, 2000 at 08:40:57

SALEM OPEN - HONG KONG
US$350,000 2-8 October, 2000 Hard/Outdoors

Sunday result
Singles -- Final
(3) Nicolas Kiefer d. (4) Mark Philippoussis 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-2 in 2 hours 11 minutes

Quotes from the winner and finalist
Nicolas Kiefer
Yes, it's great. Germany won yesterday, in soccer one nil, Schumacker won
the world championship and I won the tournament, it's a great feeling. As I
said yesterday, hopefully we're going to have a good weekend and everybody
did it.

I started off very good, he served very good the first couple of games and
then I won the tie-breaker. I hurt my wrist and I couldn't play my normal
game, so I had to change it a little bit, my game, I was lucky in the first
game of the third set, when he double faulted, he went for too much and I
kept him under pressure. It's maybe the key point of the match, I broke
him, I won my serve easy, I got another break and I tried to stay focused on
my game and I think I did it very good.

This win here, it's very important for me, because I had a very bad summer,
I was injured for three months, I couldn't play any tennis, I couldn't walk,
I couldn't run, so I was just hanging around, doing fitness for my upper
body. I'm happy to be back, and I'm glad I won here. I hope to continue
like this, I know it's not going to be easy, but I am a tennis professional
and I'm going to try do everything I can. I played great tennis here, for
the whole week, I won every match in straight sets up to the final, and
today was a tough match, over two hours, and I'm not sure about Tokyo. It
depends on my wrist, I have to wait and see if it still hurts. I'm going to
go tomorrow, and have some treatment and hopefully I'm ready for Wednesday.
The wrist injury is from a long time ago, it was before the US Open, and I
got good treatment and it was getting better and better. Sometimes I feel
it, sometimes I don't feel it. I'm looking forward to playing good next
week and will try to do my best. Everybody wants to try to beat me, but
when I'm on the court I want to beat everybody too. I got treatment just
now, and I'm going to get treatment tomorrow. I have a couple more days to
go, but I think I am going to play (Tokyo), and I'm ready for it, for the
challenge, for the big challenge.

Becker and I have a good relationship, we don't see each other that much,
but when we see, we have conversations, we talk, and he lost in the last
year in the final here, and I won. I did it better.

He is a great player (Tommy Haas), I think we are here and I won the
tournament, I would like to talk about me (laughing). Yeah, we are good
friends.

I am too old. He (Becker) won Wimbledon at 17, I am 23, I have no chance, I
can't go back with my age.

I played great tennis this year at the US Open, I won against Magnus Norman,
in a very tough match, and I lost very, very close to Marat Safin and he won
the US Open. I was up in the first set, I was serving for the set, I won
the second set, I was serving for the third set, I lost the set. It's a
question of time (when he'll win a Grand Slam title), I'm practising hard.
I'm a professional tennis player and I do everything for my tennis, to get
better. My dream is to win a Grand Slam, it's just a question of when it's
going to happen, hopefully soon. I don't care, it doesn't matter (which
Grand Slam). I'm 23, and many things can happen. Also, Korda, he won the
Australian Open, his first Grand Slam, at 29 or 30, something like this, so
anything can happen.

Mark Philippoussis
I had lots of chances in the first, five break points, I played a good
second set, and to come out in the third and play a game that, was a gift,
two double faults and an unforced error. Things happen like that, and I
have to make sure it doesn't happen again. I got upset, I had chances to
break him in the second, and then when I lost that I was obviously a little
down, which maybe I shouldn't have been.

I can't be too disappointed, I had a positive tournament and I'm going to
try and keep it going next week. I just hope to continue my positive mental
approach to my game and I've worked hard since the US Open and this is a
good result. Obviously winning it would have been nice but I haven't played
this well since the start of the year and I'm feeling good.

He played a good match, he hung in there and he played a good match. I wish
in the third set I didn't hand it to him like I did, it's tough when you get
broken but at least you like him to earn it, not a gift like that. I've
been serving well, I think I've only been broken four times this tournament,
and just the way I was broken was very frustrating for me. If he played a
great game, he was tough, that's different, but it's frustrating for me to
hand it over like that.

END--http://www.tennisnews.com/cgi-bin/news/


Kiefer defeats Philippoussis to capture Salem Open title
SportsTicker

HONG KONG (Ticker) -- Nicolas Kiefer fulfilled his self-proclaimed aim of completing a German victory trifecta.

After Germany defeated England in soccer, 1-0, and Michael Schumacher captured the Formula One World Championship by winning the Japanese Grand Prix, Kiefer defeated Mark Philippoussis in three sets today to claim the Salem Open.

Kiefer, the third seed, needed more than two hours to record a 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 6-2 victory over the fourth-seeded Australian in the final of the $375,000 hardcourt tennis event.

"Yes, it's great. Germany won yesterday in soccer, one-nil, Schumacker won the world championship and I won the tournament. It's a great feeling," said Kiefer, who lost just one set this week. "As I said yesterday, hopefully we're going to have a good weekend and everybody did it."

The 23-year-old Kiefer improved to 2-2 lifetime against Philippoussis, also winning in the final of the 1997 Toulouse Grand Prix. Today's triumph brought Kiefer his second title of the year, the sixth of his career, and $49,500.

After winning the Dubai Open in February, Kiefer was hampered by an ankle injury before reaching the U.S. Open quarterfinals, losing to eventual winner Marat Safin. He was nursing a wrist injury this week.

"This win here, it's very important for me, because I had a very bad summer," Kiefer said. "I was injured for three months, I couldn't play any tennis, I couldn't walk, I couldn't run, so I was just hanging around, doing fitness for my upper body. I'm happy to be back, and I'm glad I won here."

The defending champion at next week's Japan Open, Kiefer is not sure whether he will play in Tokyo.

"It depends on my wrist, I have to wait and see if it still hurts," he said. "I'm going to go tomorrow, and have some treatment and hopefully I'm ready for Wednesday. The wrist injury is from a long time ago, it was before the U.S. Open, and I got good treatment and it was getting better and better. Sometimes I feel it, sometimes I don't feel it."

Philippoussis was hoping to win his second tournament of the year and ninth of his career. Despite the defeat, the 23-year-old from Melbourne won four matches in a row for the first time since reaching the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in July.

"I can't be too disappointed, I had a positive tournament and I'm going to try and keep it going next week," Philippoussis said. "I just hope to continue my positive mental approach to my game and I've worked hard since the U.S. Open and this is a good result. Obviously winning it would have been nice but I haven't played this well since the start of the year and I'm feeling good."

KIEFER TAKES OUT PHILIPPOUSSIS - HINGIS WINS IN GERMANY
crosscourt.com

Nicolas Kiefer capped off quite a weekend for German sport. In the soccer Germany beat England in the last match at Wembley Stadium, then Michael Schumacher won the World Championship for the third time and Kiefer survived a set lapse to beat Mark Philippoussis to win the Hong Kong Open 7-6, 2-6, 6-2.

While Kiefer was doing the damage in Hong Kong, Martina Hingis destroyed Kim Clijsters in the Porsche Grand Prix in Filderstadt, Germany, 6-0, 6-3. For the world number one, it was career title 32.

Kiefer said the victory was an important one of him because he had had such a poor summer. He had been injured for three events and he could not walk, could not run and was "just hanging around", but also using the time to work on his upper body fitness.

"I'm happy to be back and I am happy I won here and I hope to continue like this," said Kiefer. "I know it's not going to be easy but I am a tennis professional and I'm going to try and do everything I can. I played great tennis here the whole week, I won every match in straight sets up to the final. This was a tough match."

Philippoussis had plenty of chances in the first set, five times he had break points but could not convert them. He certainly picked up his game in the second set but serving two double faults in one game in the third set was a gift for Kiefer which helped him to break the Philippoussis serve.

"Things like that happen and I have to make sure it doesn't happen again," said Philippoussis. "I got upset, I had chances to break him in the second game and then when lost that I was obviously a little down, which maybe I shouldn't have been."

The Australian said he can't be too disappointed because it was a positive tournament that included his first win, in the semifinal, over Pat Rafter.

"I just hope to continue my positive mental approach to my game and I've worked hard since the US Open and this is a good result," he said. "Obviously winning it would have been nice but I haven't played this well since the start of the year and I'm feeling good.

"Hingis meanwhile suggested that Filderstadt was "like a home tournament for me so I didn't want to let it go". She said that Clijsters, one of the young and very promising players on the Sanex WTA Tour, reminded her of herself four years ago when she was in the final. Hingis added that against the Belgian player you have to move quickly and she was able to remain focused throughout the match.

Clijsters said that Hingis' experience was a telling factor and the fact that she hit the ball so cleanly and "she's got an answer to play every player and that's why she is number one".