World Tennis News – Oudin lifts AEGON Classic crown

This week’s edition of World Tennis News looks back at grass court titles for Marin Cilic, Melanie Oudin and Tommy Haas while Alizé Cornet was victorious on Austrian clay at Bad Bastein.

Oudin seals maiden title in Edgbaston

Melanie Oudin won her first WTA singles title with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Jelena Jankovic at the AEGON Classic in Edgbaston, Birmingham.

In a rain delayed final played on the Monday the American qualifier proved to be too steady for the fifth seeded Serbian, a former World No.1.

In a match featuring a number of breaks of serve it was Oudin, playing her eighth match of the week, who came out on top of a tough first set before pulling clear in the second to seal the win in an hour and 35 minutes.

Stat Attack – Oudin

• At 208 the American is the lowest ranked player to win a WTA title since Kim Clijsters won the 2009 US Open as an unranked wild card
• The 20 year-old was a US Open quarter-finalist and WTA Newcomer of the year in 2009
• Oudin reached No.2 in the ITF junior rankings in April 2008

Stat Attack – Jankovic

• Jankovic was aiming to win her second title in Birmingham after beating Maria Sharapova in the 2007 final, she was also a finalist in 2005
• The Serbian was appearing in her first final for 10 months and now holds a 12-15 record in WTA singles finals

Cilic lifts AEGON Championships crown

Marin Cilic won his first grass court title at the AEGON Championships when the final against David Nalbandian ended in controversial circumstances.

The Argentinean former World No.3 had edged a close first set on a tie-break but lost serve in the seventh game of the second set when he could not return a scorching forehand return from the Croatian.

In frustration, the 30 year-old tenth seed kicked an advertising board which struck a linesman.  Nalbandian then received an automatic default for unsportsmanlike conduct.

Stat Attack – Cilic

• The 23 year-old has won 7 of his 14 ATP World Tour finals and was appearing in his first grass court final
• Cilic moves back into the top 20 at No.18; his highest ranking since November last year
• The Croat had lost 4 of 5 career meetings with Nalbandian

Stat Attack – Nalbandian

• In his 23rd career final the 30 year-old was bidding to become the first Argentinean winner of an ATP grass court title for 17 years 
• First grass court final since being a finalist at Wimbledon in 2002

Haas stuns Federer for Halle success

Tommy Haas delighted German fans at the Gerry Weber Open in Halle with a surprise 7-6(5), 6-4 victory over five-time Champion Roger Federer.

The 34 year-old former World No.2 lifted the title in Halle three years ago but was a heavy underdog in the final as he held a 2-10 record against the 16-time Grand Slam Champion.

Federer broke serve to begin the final before Haas struck back in the sixth game and the German veteran held two set points in the tenth game.  Federer survived but Haas prevailed in the tie-break to take the lead.

Federer held two break points early in the second set but Haas held firm and the German converted his only opportunity with a backhand winner in the ninth game.  The German then sealed his 13th career ATP World Tour crown on his first match point after an hour and 35 minutes.

Stat Attack – Haas

• The German has won his last eight ATP World Tour singles finals since losing to Andre Agassi at Rome in 2002
• Had lost his last nine meetings with Federer since the 2002 Australian Open
• The German fell off the rankings between February and May last year and having been ranked 205 at the start of the season he returns to the top 50 this week 

Stat Attack – Federer

• Federer now holds an 11-3 record in grass court finals after two runner-up finishes at Halle (2010 and 2012) and at Wimbledon in 2008
• The 30 year-old had won his last 49 matches against German players since losing to Nicolas Kiefer at Halle in 2002

Cornet comes out on top in Bad Gastein

Alizé Cornet lifted her first WTA singles title for almost four years with a 7-5, 7-6(1) victory over Yanina Wickmayer at the NÜRNBERGER Gastein Ladies in Austria.

The French seventh seed had not lost a set on the Austrian clay all week but had to fight hard to preserve that record in an evenly contested final.

Cornet served to stay in the opening set at 4-5 before breaking the Belgian second seed in the eleventh game and taking the opening set.

In the second set Wickmayer was two points away from taking the match to a decider at 6-5 but Cornet clung on and then dominated the subsequent tie-break to win in two hours and 13 minutes.

Stat Attack – Cornet

• The 22 year-old won her only other title at Budapest in July 2008
• The Frenchwoman had lost twice in the semi-finals in Bad Gastein in 2009 and 2010
• She had lost the only previous meeting with Wickmayer 7-5, 7-6(6) at Luxembourg in 2009

Stat Attack – Wickmayer

• Wickmayer falls to a 3-5 record in WTA singles finals
• The Belgian reached the semi-finals of the 2009 US Open as a teenager and has three