Third-seeded Wayne Ferreira of South Africa defeated unseeded Australian Todd Woodbridge, 6-2, 6-4 Sunday to win the du Maurier Open tennis tournament and collect $288,000.
Ferreira, ranked 10th in the world, had little trouble with Woodbridge, part of the world's top doubles team and ranked No. 43 in singles.Ferreira dominated from the start as he broke Woodbridge in the opening game. Both players had to battle windy conditions.
"The conditions were a little bit difficult today," Ferreira said. "I think I managed them a little bit better than he did. It was a little unfortunate for him, but he had a great week anyway."
"Not really conditions to play the greatest of tennis," Woodbridge agreed.
It was the first singles final of the year for Woodbridge, who earned $151,000.
Woodbridge came close to breaking Ferreira's service only once, in the third game of the match. But Ferreira saved five of the nine break points he faced during the tournament.
The title was the second of the year and 13th of his career for Ferreira, who also has won five doubles titles. It should also move him to No. 7 in the world rankings.
Woodbridge, one half of the top-ranked Woodies doubles team with Mark Woodforde, has won 42 doubles titles but only one (Coral Springs, 1995) as a singles player.
Ferreira reached the final with a 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 win Saturday over seventh-seeded Todd Martin.
That was in sharp contrast to Woodbridge's 6-0, 6-3 victory over Marcelo Rios. The No. 4 seed from Chile showed little interest in the 53-minute match and was booed for his poor effort.
Tournament director Jane Wynne called Rios' performance "an insult to the fans."
HAMLET CUP
COMMACK, N.Y. (AP) - Fifth-seeded Andrei Medvedev beat Martin Damm of the Czech Republic, 7-5, 6-3 Sunday, in the final of the Hamlet Cup tennis tournament.
Medvedev, a Ukranian who will turn 22 next Saturday, won the last four games of the match, helped by five double-faults by Damm, still seeking his first career tournament victory.
"Winning this tournament is big. It couldn't have come at a better time going into the U.S. Open," Medvedev said. "It's my 10th, but I hadn't won anything since May last year in Hamburg. It certainly helps my confidence."
Medvedev, who was ranked fourth in the world rankings two years ago and has been hampered by various injuries, said he is on his way back.
Going into the Hamlet tournament he was ranked No. 38, but will improve with the victory which also brought him $32,000.
The Jensen brothers, Luke and Murphy, of Atlanta, won the doubles title, beating Hendrik Dreekmann of Germany, and Russian Alexander Volkov, 6-3, 7-6 (7-5) in the final.
TOSHIBA CLASSIC
CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) - Japan's Kimiko Date lost the first four games before rallying for a 3-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory over top-seeded Arantxa Sanchez Vicario of Spain in the final of the $450,000 Toshiba Tennis Classic on Sunday.
Date, the fourth seed, proceeded to take complete control of the match at the La Costa Resort and Spa.
"When I lost the first set, I wasn't discouraged," Date said through a translator. "I thought if I stuck to my game plan, I had a chance."
Date's victory broke an eight-match losing streak to Sanchez Vicario, who has won eight of 10 matches between the two. The only other win for Date came in the pair's initial meeting in 1992.
"I have several chances to beat her," said Date, ranked No. 9 on the WTA Tour. "Always, I ended up being overwhelmed by her persistency. But I didn't think that I couldn't beat her.
"Still, it's difficult to beat her even if I play my best."
Date earned $79,500 for her second victory this season, while Sanchez Vicario collected $35,500.
Sanchez Vicario has lost in the finals of her last five tournaments.
Since losing the finals of both the French Open and Wimbledon to co-No. 1 ranked Steffi Graf, Sanchez Vicario dropped the Olympic gold-medal match in Atlanta to Lindsay Davenport and the Canadian Open championship to Monica Seles.
"I have to worry if I don't get to the finals," Sanchez Vicario said. "Only two players get to the finals. Other players would like to get there."