No place like home - Part 2 - St Petersburg Open

[SAFINNO1]

As the season comes to an end for us Marat fanatics we find our self in the penultimate stop back in Russia again for the St Petersburg Open in this beautiful city

This tournament has fond Memories for Marat being victor in 2000 and 2001 - but did say that he wouldnt play here a few years ago but after the tournament organisers gave him a deal he couldnt refuse he is back in action - injury permitting


Tournament Name: ST. PETERSBURG OPEN
Location: ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
Dates: 20-26 OCTOBER 2008
Prize Money: US $1,049,000 (US $1,024,000)
32 DRAW

SITE: SPORTS COMPLEX “PETERSBURGSKY”
PR. GAGARINA 8
ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA
SURFACE: GERFLOR ACRYLIC
BALL: PENN
PRIZE MONEY: USD
WEB SITE: www.spbopen.ru/

Qualifying draw: Friday, October 17, 9:00 p.m.
Main draw: Saturday, October 18, 2:00 p.m.
Doubles draw: Saturday, October 18, 6:00 p.m.

ATP Ranking Points/ATP Race Points
W: 250/50
F: 175/35
SF: 110/22
QF: 60/12
R16: 25/5
R32: 0/0
Q: +10/+2

Entry deadline: September 8, 2008
Seeding: October 13, 2008

MAIN DRAW

Andy Murray GBR [1] vs. Viktor Troicki SRB
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez ESP vs. Ernests Gulbis LAT
Janko Tipsarevic SRB vs. Potito Starace ITA
Jérémy Chardy FRA vs. Mario Ancic CRO [7]

Fernando Verdasco ESP [3] vs. Q
Karlis Lejnieks LAT [WC] vs. Alexandre Kudryavtsev RUS [WC]
Rainer Schüttler GER vs. Igor Kunitsyn RUS
Dominik Hrbaty SVK vs. Dmitry Tursunov RUS [6]

Marat Safin RUS [8] vs. Sergiy Stakhovsky UKR
Q vs. Olivier Rochus BEL
Q vs. Florent Serra FRA
Ivan Navarro ESP vs. Mikhail Youzhny RUS [4]

Marin Cilic CRO [5] vs. Q
Evgeny Korolev RUS vs. Victor Hanescu ROU
Michail Elgin RUS [WC] vs. Filippo Volandri ITA
Chris Guccione AUS vs. Nikolay Davydenko RUS [2]

[Natasha]

why did he say he would never come back?
and stupid me ive studied russian history and but didnt realise St Petersburg was in russia

[Alya10]

Not a bad draw at all: Stakhovsky in the first round, then either O. Rochus or Qualifier and possibly M. Youzhny in the QF.

And I know,... it's one step at the time as always

www.atptennis.com/en/common/TrackIt.asp?file=http://www.atptennis.com/1/posting/2008/568/mds.pdf

[marti]

Oct 14, 2008 23:30:58 GMT 3 Natasha said:

and stupid me ive studied russian history and but didnt realise St Petersburg was in russia

where did you think it was? ;D

[Natasha]

Oct 18, 2008 15:43:02 GMT 3 marti said:

Oct 14, 2008 23:30:58 GMT 3 Natasha said:

and stupid me ive studied russian history and but didnt realise St Petersburg was in russia

where did you think it was? ;D

like sweden or swizterland

was looking thru my notes and i know it better as "Petrograd"

[SAFINNO1]

Doubles Draw
(1) Aspelin/Knowle v Gabashvilli/Hrbaty
Cerretani/Levinsky v Elgin/Kudryavtsev (WC)
(4) Butorac/Cermak v Delgado/ A Murray
Levy/Okun v Parro/Polasek

Safin/Kunitsyn v Qureshi/Wassan
Bopanna/Mirnyi v (3)Youzhny Zverev
Kohlmann/Stakhovsky v Tipsarevi/Troicki
Mertinak/Zovko v Damm/Vizner

[SAFINNO1]

I like the draw for once - he has never played Stakhovsky before, currently ranked 87 - i have watched him before and shouldnt cause too much worry although he did win his first ATP title earlier this year in Zagreb beating some good personnel
If he is to progress we know Marat doesnt like rochus as much as santoro and if Misha is in QF well this is a good time to play him short on form

Hopefully he will have a good week if his shoulder is working
COME ON MARAT

Message on OS Forum
Marat left by train from Moscow this afternoon and was set to arrive in St. Petersburg this evening.

webby

[maryb]

Oct 18, 2008 18:46:01 GMT 3 Natasha said:

Oct 18, 2008 15:43:02 GMT 3 marti said:

where did you think it was? ;D

like sweden or swizterland

was looking thru my notes and i know it better as "Petrograd"

LMAO Natasha. ;D I hope you don't drive!

[SAFINNO1]

Maratski doesnt play on Monday
Tomorrow OOP includes Kunitsyn, Korolev and Tursunov
www.spbopen.ru/img/flash/OP_20.10.pdf

[Natasha]

Dima is out

[maratsmaiden]

Oct 20, 2008 16:34:05 GMT 3 Natasha said:

Dima is out

wow! not only is he out, he went down 6-1, 6-1... bad day at the office for him!

And Tuesday schedule is out - Marat will play doubles tomorrow: www.spbopen.ru/img/flash/OP_21.10.pdf

[SAFINNO1]

Dmitry Tursunov was still suffering from a shoulder injury which he had not completely recovered from yet he decided to play due to the fans that had paid to come and see him and didnt want to let down

Zhenya Korolev also lost 6-2 6-1 to Victor Hanescu, Zhenya himself had just recovered from surgery he had after US Open and was maybe not fit enough to compete!

And lastly Kremlin Cup Holder Igor Kunitsyn crashed to defeat against Wimbledon Semi finalist Rainer Scheuttler 6-2 6-3

Russians have had a bad day at the office!!!!!

[Natasha]

i hope marat bucks the trend

[Mrs. Fabregas]

Davai Marat and Igor tomorrow go kick that pakistan/dutchie duo's a** (very patriotic, aren't I )

Dare i to trow in a DAVAI GABA?? Especially delivered from GG *angel* ??

[tinuviel]

Yay - good teaming up in the doubles. Well done to the finalists from the Kremlin Cup. Bodes well for future Davis Cup matches n'est pas? ;D ;D ;D