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Associated Press Worldstream
January 20, 2007 Saturday 7:54 AM GMT
Comeback artist: Nalbandian advances in five-setter
By DENNIS PASSA, AP Sports Writer
MELBOURNE Australia
David Nalbandian has developed a habit he'd like to kick at this
Australian Open.
For the second time in three rounds at the season's first major, the
25-year-old Argentine has had to save match points in the third set
before advancing in five.
Nalbandian was trailing Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean 4-5, 0-40 in the
third set on Saturday before he came back to win the game, saving
three match points to force a tiebreaker.
The eighth-seeded Nalbandian eventually won 5-7, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4,
6-1 to advance to the fourth round.
When asked if he likes going the distance in best-of-five set
matches, Nalbandian replied in English "No, no, no!"
"Honestly, I prefer winning in three sets," he said. "It's not that
simple. Sometimes matches are more complicated."
Nalbandian, a 2002 Wimbledon runner-up and semifinalist here last
year, said he'd prefer to be leading 2-0 than losing 2-0, even though
he has a good comeback record.
"It's difficult to come back. It's not always you can do that," he
said. "When you are three match points down, anything can happen. You
just miss one or he can play a good point, and that's it."
Nalbandian said sometimes condition, sometimes luck is the biggest
fact in comeback wins.
"Sometimes lucky, sometimes I play good, but today I was lucky,"
Nalbandian said.
Grosjean received treatment for a groin injury a longstanding
problem, said ATP Tour officials at the end of the third set.
"I thought he was getting tired," said Nalbandian. "But I was really
surprised when he couldn't move."
Grosjean, who said he will have scans Sunday to determine the extent
of his injury, said he tried to get the match over with quickly.
"I hurt my leg at the end of the second set, and it was getting worse
and worse," said Grosjean. "So I knew if I can't win in three sets it
was over."
Nalbandian will play the winner of the Tommy Haas-Florian Mayer match
looking to improve on his already impressive record in Grand Slams.
He made it to the Australian Open and French Open semifinals last
year. With a finals appearance at Wimbledon in 2002 losing to Lleyton
Hewitt and a U.S. Open semifinal in 2003, he is one of only two
active players then to reach the semis at all four Grand Slams in a
career.
Roger Federer, with who has reached the finals at all four majors, is
the other.
Nalbandian also came from two sets down in his opening match against
Janko Tipsarevic when the Serbian player retired with heat illness in
the fifth and deciding set. Tipsarevic served for the match in the
third set and Nalbandian faced two match points.
He has now come back from 0-2 six times and is 14-8 career in
five-set matches.
Nalbandian learned to play tennis after his Armenian grandfather
built a concrete court in his backyard in Cordoba, Argentina. He
often played against his two older brothers, one of whom has become a
tennis coach.
Saturday's match lasted nearly four hours and featured 15 service
breaks. Nalbandian took a 3-1 lead in the final set with a stinging
backhand down the line on break point.
Nalbandian then dominated the rest of the deciding set, breaking
Grosjean in the sixth game his eighth service break of the match and
then clinched a place in the second week with an ace on match point.
January 20, 2007 Saturday 7:54 AM GMT
Comeback artist: Nalbandian advances in five-setter
By DENNIS PASSA, AP Sports Writer
MELBOURNE Australia
David Nalbandian has developed a habit he'd like to kick at this
Australian Open.
For the second time in three rounds at the season's first major, the
25-year-old Argentine has had to save match points in the third set
before advancing in five.
Nalbandian was trailing Frenchman Sebastien Grosjean 4-5, 0-40 in the
third set on Saturday before he came back to win the game, saving
three match points to force a tiebreaker.
The eighth-seeded Nalbandian eventually won 5-7, 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-4,
6-1 to advance to the fourth round.
When asked if he likes going the distance in best-of-five set
matches, Nalbandian replied in English "No, no, no!"
"Honestly, I prefer winning in three sets," he said. "It's not that
simple. Sometimes matches are more complicated."
Nalbandian, a 2002 Wimbledon runner-up and semifinalist here last
year, said he'd prefer to be leading 2-0 than losing 2-0, even though
he has a good comeback record.
"It's difficult to come back. It's not always you can do that," he
said. "When you are three match points down, anything can happen. You
just miss one or he can play a good point, and that's it."
Nalbandian said sometimes condition, sometimes luck is the biggest
fact in comeback wins.
"Sometimes lucky, sometimes I play good, but today I was lucky,"
Nalbandian said.
Grosjean received treatment for a groin injury a longstanding
problem, said ATP Tour officials at the end of the third set.
"I thought he was getting tired," said Nalbandian. "But I was really
surprised when he couldn't move."
Grosjean, who said he will have scans Sunday to determine the extent
of his injury, said he tried to get the match over with quickly.
"I hurt my leg at the end of the second set, and it was getting worse
and worse," said Grosjean. "So I knew if I can't win in three sets it
was over."
Nalbandian will play the winner of the Tommy Haas-Florian Mayer match
looking to improve on his already impressive record in Grand Slams.
He made it to the Australian Open and French Open semifinals last
year. With a finals appearance at Wimbledon in 2002 losing to Lleyton
Hewitt and a U.S. Open semifinal in 2003, he is one of only two
active players then to reach the semis at all four Grand Slams in a
career.
Roger Federer, with who has reached the finals at all four majors, is
the other.
Nalbandian also came from two sets down in his opening match against
Janko Tipsarevic when the Serbian player retired with heat illness in
the fifth and deciding set. Tipsarevic served for the match in the
third set and Nalbandian faced two match points.
He has now come back from 0-2 six times and is 14-8 career in
five-set matches.
Nalbandian learned to play tennis after his Armenian grandfather
built a concrete court in his backyard in Cordoba, Argentina. He
often played against his two older brothers, one of whom has become a
tennis coach.
Saturday's match lasted nearly four hours and featured 15 service
breaks. Nalbandian took a 3-1 lead in the final set with a stinging
backhand down the line on break point.
Nalbandian then dominated the rest of the deciding set, breaking
Grosjean in the sixth game his eighth service break of the match and
then clinched a place in the second week with an ace on match point.