Fernando Meligeni will meet Stefan Edberg on Thursday for the right to meet Greg Rusedski in the final of the Vale Do Lobo Grand Champions CGD, and he is under no illusions about how difficult the task will be. The Brazilian saw off Henri Leconte 6-2, 7-5 and afterwards told ATPChampionsTour.com that he believes the 43-year-old Edberg could still beat players currently ranked inside the World’s Top 50. Rusedski earned his final place by beating Nuno Marques 7-6(9), 6-3. “I think, for sure, Stefan could beat a Top 50 player,” said Meligeni.
“He is in incredible shape and he ‘flies’ in the court. It looks too easy for him. When you attack him he slices the ball and keeps it safe. If you don’t, he hits the backhand and closes the net. He is unbelievable. It’s a pleasure to watch him. The key is to make good returns against him, otherwise it is too easy for him. If I can make returns against him I can enjoy the match, otherwise it is going to be tough.”
“He is in incredible shape and he ‘flies’ in the court. It looks too easy for him. When you attack him he slices the ball and keeps it safe. If you don’t, he hits the backhand and closes the net. He is unbelievable. It’s a pleasure to watch him. The key is to make good returns against him, otherwise it is too easy for him. If I can make returns against him I can enjoy the match, otherwise it is going to be tough.”
Leconte, who won a set against Edberg yesterday, believes that Meligeni has a chance. “I think he has the game to hurt Stefan,” said Leconte. “If he plays like he did today against me, he has a chance. Fernando can make the rallies last longer than I can and that will give him a better opportunity.”
As usual, Leconte entertained the crowds even when he wasn’t playing well in the first set. Halfway through his match with Meligeni, he took off his socks and shoes and dived into a nearby swimming pool to cool off in the searing temperatures.
Meligeni, who boasts more than 8,000 ‘followers’ on his Twitter page - http://www.twitter.com/meligeni, is currently in a fantastic mood after being informed that Andy Murray’s mother, Judy, loves watching his left-handed game. “It is a pleasure for me to hear this!” he said.
Later in the day, Rusedski needed to be at his best to save a set point against Marques in a first set Tie-Break. With the two left-handers throwing themselves into serves, ground-strokes and volleys, the quality was high throughout and Marques earned his set point at 9-8 in the Tie-Break with a flashing single-handed backhand. Rusedski hung in to break back, and ultimately won the Tie-Break 11-9, before sealing victory 6-3 in the second set. Stefan Edberg kept his 100% career-record against Thomas Muster in-tact with a comprehensive 6-3, 6-2 win over the former World No.1.
Elsewhere, Marcelo Rios’ dismal form continued as he lost his fifth consecutive match on the ATP Champions Tour. The Chilean, who won the first six tournaments he contested when he joined the Tour in 2006, went down 6-2, 7-6 to Marc-Kevin Goellner. Rios lost all of his matches in Sao Paulo in May, he has lost two matches here in Algarve and will hope to arrest the decline against Rusedski in a dead rubber on Thursday.
To be eligible to compete on the ATP Champions Tour, players must be either a former World Number One, a former Grand Slam champion or finalist, or a singles player on a Davis Cup-winning team. Each even can also invite two wild cards of its choice.
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After Algarve, the ATP Champions Tour will move on to Paris, France for the Trophee Jean Luc Lagardere, 24-27 September.
