Janko Tipsarevic topples Juan Monaco to capture the crown – Mercedes Cup 2012
In an epic final between the top two players of the tournament, Serbian number two Janko Tipsarevic got the better of second seeded Juan Monaco in a three-set thriller at the Mercedes Cup 2012 on Sunday. He nudged up a 6-4 5-7, 6-3 victory against the Argentinean
star to lift his maiden year-to-date title at this ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour 250 series event held in Stuttgart, Germany.
The top seeded Serb displayed flawless performance, eventually carving out the victory in their third meeting. After recording the victory in two hours and 35 minutes, Tipsarevic not only took lead in the FedEx ATP Head 2 Head series by 2-1 against the world
number 14 but also pocketed a cheque of €64,700.
“It wasn’t an easy match to play, considering the balls were flying everywhere," Tipsarevic stated in a post-match press conference. "It wasn’t really easy to be aggressive, but I felt I was the better player in the third set. I had a huge chance at 4-0
up in the second set, but instead of being more aggressive, I became passive. Luckily, I managed to come back. I honestly still don’t believe I won the title, considering that in almost every match I was hanging to lose.”
Tipsarevic thundered into the Tennis Club Weissenhof and jumped to a 2-0 lead. Apart from losing his edge in the fourth game, the Serb swiftly plucked remaining serves and got the breakthrough in the ninth game, eventually sealing the opener with a 6-4 win.
The world number eight maintained consistency in his game in the follow-up set and went on a four-game killing spree. However, he stepped off steam after that and lost his path.
Monaco, who was bidding for his third year-to-date title at this tournament, raised his game and wiped out the opening five games in a row. The Argentine cashed in another break chance in the last game and grabbed the equaliser by winning seven games to
five.
The match was poised at a knife edge but the higher ranked player was the one who re-gained his strength and rhythm. He earned the coveted break in the fifth game and took a 3-2 lead. Apart from failing to block the lone breakpoint he faced in the very next
game, Tipsarevic reeled off the last three games successively and clicked the decider with a 6-3 score line.
After stealing the show, the Serb became the last member of the Top 10 to capture a title this circuit.
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