2010 AEGON Masters Tennis: Wednesday Evening Preview
The “Old Ones” will continue to play at the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday, as the season finale event for the ATP Champions Tour enters its second day. Results for the first half of the afternoon session put Cedric Pioline in the quarterfinals as he defeated Greg Rusedski to enjoy a 2-0 mark in his group. With the evening session still to be played, the day’s end will show who joins Pioline in the quarterfinals. Henri Leconte, who replaced Mark Philippoussis in the season finale event, will play his first match against Thomas Enqvist. Enqvist, who already enjoys a 1-0 mark in his group, needs to defeat Leconte to move ahead into the quarterfinals.
First up is the match that we have all been waiting for, Tim Henman versus Goran Ivanisevic. This will be the first time the two meet on the courts, since their three-day long semi final match at the Wimbledon 2001. Ivanisevic crushed Henman’s dream then, as he ended his title run at Wimbledon. Ivanisevic went on to lift his only career Grand Slam title. Henman, who has reached four Wimbledon semi finals, has failed to lift a title at the Grand Slam. With that match fresh in their minds, the two legends are eager for a rematch and what better place for a rematch than London herself.
Eager for a rematch, Henman told the press that he was not getting overconfident with his debut victory and that defeating Ivanisevic would require some work. He said, “…I’m not getting ahead of myself. I think Goran, with the way he’s serving on this court, is going to be a tough battle no matter how well I’m playing. But I used to enjoy trying to return Goran’s serve and I expect I’ll have to do a lot of that tomorrow night so that will be good fun.”
Henman currently enjoys a 1-0 mark in the event having defeated Moroccan Younes El Aynaoui on Tuesday. This was his debut match in the Champions Tour. Coming back from a 1-4 score in the second set, Henman enjoyed a straight set win over the Moroccan winning the match 6-4, 6-4.
Ivanisevic, on the other hand, currently rests at 0-0 since this is his first matchup in the event. The Croatian is very much eager about drawing against his old nemesis, Henman.
Following these two on the courts will be a doubles match between the team of local Jeremy Bates and Swede Mikael Pernfors, as they take on the pair of multiple Wimbledon doubles champion Mark Woodforde and Aussie Peter McNamara. With no fixed teams in the events, the doubles players are mixing up as they put on doubles performances for the fans in each session.
Wrapping up play for the day will be Aussie legend Pat Cash as he plays his second match of the event. He currently sports a 0-1 mark in the event having lost his opening match to compatriot Patrick Rafter on Tuesday. Playing against American Todd Martin, Cash needs to win this match if he has any hopes of making it into the quarterfinal round. Martin, on the other hand, currently sports a 0-0 mark, as this is his first matchup of the event. Martin will later play Rafter on Thursday.
Although it is always a pleasure to see Cash in action, however the most anticipated match of the day will be that of Henman and Ivanisevic. Let us hope nine years later Henman can defeat the Croat.
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