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Dmitry Tursunov, former Capitals MVP, claims first ATP title

October 12, 2006 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Sacramento Capitals News Release


Russian Dmitry Tursunov broke into the Top 20 of the ATP rankings for the first time after winning his first ATP title in Mumbai, India, on October 2. In a final postponed for one day and twice interrupted by rain, Tursunov defeated Czech Tomas Berdych 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(5).

Tursunov, a resident of Folsom, Calif., and voted the 2004 World TeamTennis Most Valuable Player for the Sacramento Capitals, led 4-2 in the third set but was unable to close out the match. Rain halted play for a second time at 5-5 in the third set. On resumption Tursunov broke Berdych for a 6-5 lead but was unable to serve out the match, which headed into a third-set tie-break. The Russian clinched his first ATP title with his first match point of the tie-break.

"I probably lost about 10 years of my life playing this," said Tursunov. "I think both of us were playing really, really tight and you know it was really a crap-shoot in the tie-break."

Tursunov was appearing in his second ATP final (Los Angeles, July 2006, vs. Tommy Haas). The 23-year-old improved to 43-26 on the year, far exceeding his previous best season record of 17-15 last year. He has won 22 of his 30 matches since the beginning of Wimbledon.

The title victory capped a dramatic nine days for Tursunov, who becomes the 11th first-time title winner on the ATP circuit in 2006. Two weeks ago, Tursunov was surprisingly called into action against Andy Roddick in the fourth rubber of the Russia-USA Davis Cup semifinal. After a lackluster performance in the doubles rubber one day earlier, Tursunov, playing on his least preferred surface of clay, defeated Roddick 17-15 in the fifth set after the American, who had rallied from two sets down, served for the match at 6-5 in the fifth. Tursunov emerged the unlikely hero of Russia's Davis Cup victory in the reverse singles in Moscow.

Asked whether the surface or "home advantage" were significant factors in the outcome of the match, Tursunov replied: "Clay isn't a favorite surface for either of us. In fact, Andy has a better record on clay than I do...the surface was a factor as well as playing in Russia but that is Davis Cup. It could have easily been in the States on hard (courts) and I would have to play against it. It wasn't the factor in the third and fourth set so why would it be the deciding factor after 15-15?"

Russia will host the Davis Cup by BNP Paribas Final against Argentina from December 1-3.

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