Strategic move
Bjorkman uses net game to advance at MFS Pro
Posted: Wednesday August 26, 1998 11:44 PM
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Bjorkman beat Galo Blanco 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) to advance to the quarterfinals Gary M. Prior/Allsport |
BROOKLINE, Massachusetts (AP) -- Top-seeded Jonas Bjorkman used his net-rushing game Wednesday to turn back Galo Blanco 6-2, 7-6 (7-5) to advance to the quarterfinals of the MFS Pro Tennis Championships at the Longwood Cricket Club.
Bjorkman had only brief troubles in the second set when he was down set point at 5-4. But after pulling even, he eventually wound up the match in the tiebreaker.
"I was aggressive tonight -- and that's the guy I want to be," said Bjorkman. "Even if I went three sets I wouldn't have been disappointed because I knew I was playing well. I played my game."
Bjorkman is hoping to use this tournament as a springboard to next week's U.S. Open, where he was a semifinalist a year ago. "I know if I play this well next week, I'm going to be tough to beat," he said.
Sjeng Schalken, the young man from the Netherlands who surprised a few people a year ago by winning the MFS Pro Tennis Championships, could be on track for a repeat success.
The unseeded 21-year-old reached the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over American Jeff Tarango.
Tarango, who upset second-seeded Karol Kucera in the first round, couldn't handle the swift ground strokes of Schalken.
"I played a very solid match," said Schalken. "I tried to hit to the middle so he couldn't get the angles on me and I guess it worked."
Is he planning on making it two titles in a row?
"I'm not planning on it, but I'd be happy to do it again. I wasn't planning on it last year either. Right now, I'm just happy to be in the quarterfinals."
His next opponent will be fellow countryman Paul Haarhuis, who won the first five games of his match against Jiri Novak of the Czech Republic but still needed three sets to escape with a victory. Haarhuis, at 32, one of the oldest players on the tour, won 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.
The Dutchman, who had shown more success in doubles in recent years, blew three match points at 5-4 before allowing Novak to pull even. But Haarhuis broke his foe at love and served out the match with the loss of only one point.
"I started missing my first serves in the second set and that cost me the set," said Haarhuis. "It wasn't an easy match for me."
In other afternoon matches, Nicolas Lapenti of Ecuador outlasted Carlos Costa of Spain 6-7 (10-8), 6-4, 7-5; and qualifier Sebastien Grosjean of France won over Xavier Malisse of Belgium 6-4, 7-5.
Lapentti, at 22 the No. 1 player in Equador, felt a rain delay of nearly one hour might have helped Costa back in the match. "I think he was getting tired, then after the delay he won four games in a row," said Lapenti.
Costa was trailing 0-2 in the third set when play was halted by rain. But after going up 4-2 and 5-4, he lost his staying power.
"My condition is good and I served well, but my game still needs more work for the Open," said Lapentti.
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