Mikhail Youzhny wins Kuala Lumpur title
World number nine, Mikhail Youzhny, came from a set down to triumph for the third consecutive day as he rallied to beat Andrey Golubev in a three setter clash in the final of the Malaysian Open Men’s competition on Sunday. The final match score was 6-7(7),
6-2, 7-6(3).
The twenty-eight year old Mikhail was made to work hard for his seventh trophy, having been extended to three sets in all four clashes last week. In the quarter final round against Marcos Baghdatis, Youzhny bounced back from a set and a double break down
to triumph. In the semis, he won twelve of the final fourteen games to come back from the loss of the opening set versus Igor Andreev.
“It was four very tough matches for me. It was my first tournament indoors after the United States Open Series and for me it was good. I cannot say I showed by best tennis here, but, although it’s good when you show your best tennis and win the tournament,
it is probably better sometimes when you do not show your really best game but you have a really good result”, said Youzhny.
In the Battle for Barclays it is definitely going to be a confidence boosting victory for Mikhail, who is looking to qualify for the season ending ATP World Tour Barclays in London on the very first occasion in his career.
The Russian, who started the week at number ten in the world by the Association of tennis professionals, will add a total of 250 points to his tally. He also received prize money of $153,500 as winner of the ATP World Tour 250 indoor hard court tennis competition
in Kuala Lumpur.
Mikhail has compiled a match record of 39-15 in what has been a phenomenal year for the Muscovite. He also captured the crown in Munich after getting the better of Cilic earlier in May and ended as a finalist in Rotterdam to Robin Soderling as well as in
Dubai to his Serbian tennis foe, Novak Djokovic back in February.
Moreover, Youzhny also successfully reached the semi final round of the year’s final major this season, the United States Open in New York where he was eventually toppled by the ultimate champion, Rafael Nadal.
Mikhail knocked down Golubev in three easy sets in the opening round in Flushing Meadows. However, he was given a tough time by the rising tennis star from Kazakhstan in their fourth encounter on Sunday.
The eighth seeded Golubev, missed an early break point in the final, but held his nerve in the opening-set tie-break, preventing three set points before taking a lead of one set.
The fourth seeded Mikhail bounced back strongly in the following set, though, breaking on two occasions as he recorded a lead of 5-1. Andrey was able to recoup one of the breaks, however, Mikhail broke serve again during the eighth game to tie the clash.
Neither contender was able to create a break point opportunity in the decisive set and Mikhail’s more experience showed in the tie-break as he recorded a win in two hours and thirty-two minutes on Sunday.
“It was a really tough match, a very close match. I should have won the first set, when you lead 6-3 in the tie-break indoors usually you should take the set. I came back well and I played a really good second set. In the final set it was really close.
Unfortunately, when you win 7-6 in the third set in the last match, you have to be a little bit luckier than him,” reflected Mikhail after the match on Sunday.
World number forty-one, Andrey, who was looking to cap a giant-killing week by capturing his second crown declared, “I am happy about the tournament, because when I came here I was feeling pretty good physically and mentally and I beat a top ten guy. It
is good for me and I know I can play against top guys and in the future I can improve my game and I will do my best in the next tournament”.
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