2010 AEGON Masters Tennis: Thursday Evening Session Preview
The round robin stage, at the 2010 AEGON Masters Tennis is in its final stages, as the Champions enter the courts on Thursday. The tennis legends are having their final clashes, as the season finale event of the ATP Champions Tour progresses, at the Royal Albert Hall, London.
With day’s play divided into two sessions, the afternoon session comprised of match-ups between Brit-Canadian, Greg Rusedski and Russian, Yevgeny Kafelnikov followed by Henri Leconte playing the local, Jeremy Bates. Also in the afternoon session was the doubles performance between the acclaimed team of Persian legend, Mansour Bahrami and
American Peter Fleming, as they took on the pair of Aussie Peter McNamara and Swede Mikael Pernfors.
With two in the afternoon, the evening session also has two matches. Kicking-off the evening session is the defending champion and Aussie icon, Patrick Rafter, as he takes on American, Todd Martin. Rafter comes from a recent title win at Sydney, where he won the final, defeating John McEnroe, in an emphatic 6-2, 6-2 victory. Currently ranked fifth in the Champions Tour ranking with 860 points, Rafter became the first champion at the Champions Downunder event, two weeks ago. This event was being held for the first time in the Champions Tour. This was Rafter’s third event of the season, having played at Chengdu and then before that, at Delray Beach. The Aussie’s run in Chengdu was a disappointment, since he failed to make it past the first stage. Losing matches to Rusedski, Kafelnikov and Thomas Enqvist, he exited the event with a 0-3 mark. His run at Delray Beach was
however, quite successful, since he made it all the way to the finals and eventually defeated McEnroe to win the event.
With two final wins this season, the season finale event is Rafter’s fourth appearance for the season. Having defeated Stefan Edberg in 2009, Rafter was seeded first in the event, as
a defending champion. The Aussie currently enjoys a 1-0 mark in the event having defeated compatriot Pat Cash, in their opening match on Tuesday. However, his match today with Martin is a mere formality, since the two already have secured their places in the, quarterfinal round. With Martin’s victory over group mate Cash on Wednesday, he not only reduced Cash to a 0-2 mark in the event but already ensured qualification for himself and Rafter in the quarter-finals. This is Martin’s first match of the season. Following these two on the courts will be, Croatian, Goran Ivanisevic as he takes on Moroccan, Younes El Aynaoui. Both professionals currently enjoy a 1-0 mark in the event, after having defeated local, Tim Henman in their opening matches. Ivanisevic, who has become somewhat of a veteran even at the Champions Tour, has played in eight out of the ten events this season. The season finale event is the eleventh event of the season. Currently ranked at second place in the Champions Tour rankings, he has made it to the finals of only the Knokke-Heist event.
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