TENNIS WORLD

Home Favorite Melzer Reaches Final

Sixth-seeded Austrian Jurgen Melzer (pictured) thrilled the home crowd in Kitzbuhel by reaching the final of the Austrian Open with a 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-3 victory over fourth-seeded Italian Potito Starace on Saturday.
Vienna native Melzer is the first Austrian to reach the singles final since Thomas Muster finished as runner-up to Albert Costa in 1995. The left-hander’s previous best result at Kitzbuhel was a quarterfinal appearance last year (l. to Youzhny).
Melzer looked to be on course for a straight sets victory as he led by a set and a break; however, Starace hit back and saved a match point at 6-5 in the tie-break before leveling at one set-all. Melzer was quick to respond though and was able to close out the third set and the match after 2 hr., 3 min.
The 27-year-old Starace was bidding to reach the final in Kitzbuhel for the second straight year after finishing runner-up to Juan Monaco in his last appearance in an ATP singles final last year. The World No. 61 was contesting his first ATP semifinal of the season having fallen in four quarterfinal attempts at Buenos Aires (l. to Nalbandian), Acapulco (l. to Nalbandian), Valencia (l. to Robredo) and last week in Bastad (l. to Berdych). He slips to 16-19 for the season.
Melzer, No. 66 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings, is through to his first ATP singles final since finishing runner-up to Lleyton Hewitt at 2007 Las Vegas. He is chasing his second title after capturing his first at Bucharest (d. Volandri) in 2006.
The 27-year-old made quarterfinal exits at Poertschach (l. to Kunitsyn) and ‘s-Hertogenbosch (l. to Gicquel) earlier in the season and now improves his match record to 18-17. The victory also snaps a four match-losing streak against Italians.