CALABASAS MEN'S PRO CHALLENGE: KARLOVIC STANDS TALL WITH BLAZING SERVES.Byline: Lauren Gustus Staff Writer Ivo Karlovic of Croatia showed he had a little something left after his semifinal victory over American Jeff Salzenstein Jeff "Salzy" Salzenstein (born October 14, 1973, in Peoria, Illinois) is an American left-handed tennis player. As of June 2007, he was ranked # 554 in singles (his highest ranking was # 100 in June 2004). His career high in doubles was # 68 in November 1997. in the Countrywide coun·try·wide adv. & adj. Throughout a whole country; nationwide: launched a fundraising campaign countrywide; a countrywide search. Adj. 1. Men's Pro Challenger at the Calabasas Swim and Tennis Center on Saturday afternoon. The big-serving Karlovic, who at 6-foot-10 is the tallest player ranked in the top 100, let a few fans try to return his serves after the match. They fared about as well as Salzenstein. The American managed just two points on Karlovic's final three service games, one coming on a double fault. Karlovic, the No. 1 seed, dominated the end of the match in a 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 victory. He had seven aces - 18 total - in his last three service games, and four serves were not returned. He won the seventh game of the set with four consecutive aces. ``I've been playing better here,'' Karlovic said. ``I am happy. Before, in the last couple months, I wasn't playing so well.'' He will face American Alex Bogomolov Jr. in the final today at noon. Karlovic, 25, wasn't able to use his serve as well in the first set, and Salzenstein pushed it to a tiebreaker tie·break·er n. An additional contest or period of play designed to establish a winner among tied contestants. Also called tiebreak. tie . He went ahead 3-1, but Karlovic rattled rat·tle 1 v. rat·tled, rat·tling, rat·tles v.intr. 1. a. To make or emit a quick succession of short percussive sounds. b. off six consecutive points for the win. Karlovic, who grabbed attention at Wimbledon last year with his first- round win over defending champion defending champion n (SPORT) → defensor/a m/f del título defending champion n (Sport) → champion(ne) en titre Lleyton Hewitt Lleyton Glynn Hewitt (born 24 February 1981) is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Australia. In 2001, he became the youngest male ever to be ranked number one. His career best achievements are winning the 2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon men's singles titles. of Australia, settled down after the tiebreaker. ``I was just trying to concentrate there and in the second I was more confident,'' Karlovic said. ``It showed.'' Bogomolov, a full foot shorter than Karlovic, will likely have to make more adjustments than his counterpart. ``I'm going to try to get a racket on every single serve,'' Bogomolov said. Karlovic, with the obvious advantage, said he would change nothing. Bogomolov, the No. 3 seed, defeated fellow American Glenn Weiner, 6-2, 6-3, in the other semifinal match. Though the 20-year-old, who is originally from Moscow, went ahead on Weiner's serve early in each set, he was relieved to get out so easily. ``I've been going up a set and a break and losing it,'' Bogomolov said. ``It's been troubling me lately.'' Bogomolov broke Weiner twice in the first set. Weiner came out with a fresh shirt, looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. a fresh start, in the second. The change didn't help as Bogomolov picked up where he left off, with a break in the first game of the second set. He converted his first match point on Weiner's serve for the final break. ``Everything felt good today,'' said Bogomolov, who survived a three-set quarterfinal on Friday. ``I had a little bit more rhythm. I was a little warmer.'' Ivo Klec of Germany and Robert Linstedt of Sweden earned a break in the third game of the third set to win the doubles title 7-5, 4-6, 6-4, over American Cecil Mamiit Cecil Mamiit (born June 27, 1976 in Los Angeles, California) is a tennis player from the United States who now represents the Philippines. He began his professional career in 1996. and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi (born March 17, 1980, in Lahore) is a professional tennis player from Pakistan. He is the Pakistani Number 1 and Asian Number 5. Qureshi had a successful career in Junior tennis, finishing No. of Pakistan. Lauren Gustus, (818) 713-3607 Lauren.gustus(at)dailynews.com |
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