Tursunov wins Mumbai Open; Bhupathi/Ancic are doubles winners

Mumbai, Oct 2 (UNI) Fourth seed Dmitry Tursunov of Russia held off a strong challenge from the number three seed Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic winning in three sets to emerge victorious in the USD 3,80,000 Kingfisher Airlines Open tennis tournament at the CCI hard courts here today.

In a final cursed by rain being postponed by a day and then needing two breaks today before the match could be completed, the 23-ranked Russian won at 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (5). The Russian won USD 52,000 as prize nmoney, while Berdych tok home USD 30,600.

In the doubles final, the third seeded pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Mario Anci survived a torrid fight from the unheralded Indian pair of Rohan Bopanna and Mustafa Ghouse before winning via the super tie-break. The third seeds won at 6-4, 6-7 (6), 10-8.

Slighted indoors without practice for the last two days, both the finalists looked out of sorts at the start of the final. They exchanged breaks in the first two games, but the Russian world No 22 got the better of Berdych in the rallies.

It was also a contest about whose temperament was better.

The energy and fire that saw Tursunov overcome top seed Tommy Robredo in the semi-final on Saturday was lacking, but he gained from Berdych's errors and broke the Czech in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead. He served out the set at 6-3 with a service winner.

Then with the score at 1-1 in the second forced the players indoors and when the match re-started it was Berdych who seemed to have found his rhythm as Tursunov started committing more unforced errors. Taking advantage of this, Berdych with a break took the second set at 6-4 and forced a decider.

In the decider both the players started serving really well making it difficult for the other to break. However, rain played spoil sport once again at a crucial juncture and at 5-5 in the decider play was halted once again.

This time after resumption, the halt seemed to have helped the Russian as he took the third set in the tie-breaker at 7-5 and with it the title.

The doubles match seemed to be going the third seeded Indian/Croat pair of Mahesh Bhupathi and Mario Ancic way as their opponents Indians Rohan Bopanna and Mustafa Ghouse who had beaten the first and fourth seeds on the way to the final seemed a bit nervous and edgy losing the first set at 6-4.

However, in the second Bopanna and Ghouse started feeling much more confident and held serve easily to force a tie-break which they won at 8-6 to set up the super tie-break, which according to the new rules has to be played in the third set.

The super tie-break also went with serve when in the end the experience of the third seeds managed to see them home winning 10-8 in the super tie-break to win the doubles title.

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