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Warburg handles "pressure" well to win South Korean Futures tournament

April 5, 2006 - World TeamTennis (WTT)
Sacramento Capitals News Release


The Capitals' Sam Warburg won the $15,000 Futures in Cheju, South Korea on April 2. But it could have easily been April Fool's Day based on the wacky weather, altitude and even the tennis balls with which he had to contend.

"It was like hitting grapefruits," said Warburg, who explained that the tournament used a significantly heavier ball called the Dunlop Fort. "The balls felt like they were pressure-less. I was playing everything down around my ankles."

Cheju, or "Jeju" in local lingo, is a semi-tropical island 40 miles off the south coast of the Korean peninsula. A 5,000-foot high extinct volcano, Halla San, serves as the island's backdrop. During the tournament week, one day featured 25 degrees with snow flurries; the next day a deluge of rain; and the next, 50 mph winds that knocked Warburg off balance during his service motion and toppled the solid wooden frame of the umpire's chair.

Since rain drenched the tournament site for semifinal action, Warburg had to compete in the semis and final in the same day. Despite the number of high-caliber Korean players in the draw, Warburg faced a Russian in the final. He defeated Pavel Ivanov 7-5, 6-2 for the championship.

Once the Futures tournament points are updated in the ranking system in early May, Warburg's ranking will rise to a career-high No. 277 in the world.

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