Nieminen again finds Federer too strong in Basel

Encouraging week helps to redeem rather subdued season

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Finland’s top tennis player Jarkko Nieminen was beaten in straight sets in the final of the Davidoff Swiss Indoors Tournament in Basel on Sunday, but considering he was facing the world No. 1 Roger Federer, the result was hardly an upset or a huge disappointment.
      One break of service in each set was enough to see Federer take a routine victory 6-3, 6-4 in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. It was the eighth time the two players have met, and Federer maintains a 100% record: Nieminen has not taken a single set off the Swiss ace.
      Nieminen can nonetheless be well enough pleased with his week’s work, as this was his first appearance in an ATP singles final this season and he beat three players ranked above him in the ATP lists on his way to Sunday’s match.
     
Perhaps even more significant was the manner of his victories, especially in the first two rounds. Against American Robby Ginepri in the opener he faced down one match point and recovered from 1-5 in the third set to win 7-5, and against sixth-seed Guillermo Canas (ATP-12) in the second round he saved two more match points before coming through 6-4, 3-6, 7-5.
      The unseeded Nieminen then upset the 2nd seed Fernando Gonzales of Chile 6-3, 7-5 in the quarters and Cypriot Marcos Baghdatis 7-6, 6-2 in the semi-final. Gonzales was a particularly prized scalp, since on their previous four meetings Nieminen has come out second-best, and the Chilean is currently ranked 8th in the world.
     
Jarkko Nieminen has not in all honesty enjoyed the best of form this season, and his ATP rank had slipped from a career high of 13th in July 2006 to 29th going into the Basel tournament.
      He has also lost a good many tight three-set and five-set matches that he might have been expected to win, having played himself into a good position only to see it all fall apart. Hence two stirring recoveries will have done the left-hander’s confidence a world of good, and improving his rather poor record against Top 10 players - he has earlier beaten Tommy Robredo (ATP-9) this season, but otherwise has not been at all convincing against top opponents - is another definite plus.
     
The cheque for EUR 71,000 and a large bag of ATP points will also be most welcome. Nieminen rises to 26th in the world in Monday’s revised standings, but this will not be enough to get him seeded in his last tournament of the year, the BNP Paribas Masters in Paris.
      Nieminen has a tough opening game against Argentine Juan Monaco (ATP-20), a young player who has shot up in the rankings this season thanks to three tour victories. The pair have only met once, when Nieminen won in straight sets in Tokyo in 2006. If Nieminen’s new-found form can carry him into the second round, he is likely to meet 15th seed Andy Murray of Britain, fresh from a win at the St. Petersburg Open.
      After Paris, Nieminen will be off court for the duration as he begins his national service in the Finnish Defence Forces.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Jarkko Nieminen wins first ATP doubles title with partner Robert Lindstedt (1.10.2007)

Links:
  ATP Tennis: Jarkko Nieminen

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