Gustavo Kuerten enjoyed a comfortable 6-4,
6-3 victory over Sargis Sargsian to claim the St Petersburg Open crown - his
second title of the year.
The 27-year old Brazilian, playing this event for the first time, won 142,000
US dollar top prize and a 19th career championship.
His only other tournament victory of 2003 came at the Heineken Open in
Auckland at the start of the year.
Kuerten did not drop a set en route to this title and recorded his third
straight-sets win over Sargsian in as many meetings.
Sargsian lost his second final in Russia in the space of three weeks. He fell
to Taylor Dent in the the Kremlin Cup in Moscow on October 5.
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Kuerten was delighted with his performance, and claimed his performance could
"not have gone any better".
"For me it's a great moment. You always hope you can play this way in a final
but it's not often that it happens like this," he beamed.
"I think the experience of playing in other finals has helped me. When I
broke him in the first set (for 5-4) I really go to a stage that I felt
everything was easy going. I had so much confidence.
"I was trying as hard as I can and everything was going."
The losing finalist Sargsian was also pleased with his week overall, even
insisting he would not have beaten the Brazilian even if he played at his top
level Sunday.
"I played well I guess, but Kuerten was too strong for me. I didn't expect
him to play the way he did. I was surprised by the way he served," the Armenian
added.
"He served perfectly and had many aces. I think my mistake was that I should
have advanced to the net more.
"I'm not sure if I could beat him today even if I played my best match.
Kuerten has a very uncomfortable backhand. You never know were the ball will
go."
end
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