RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, March 14 - Fernando Meligeni, spurred by a boisterous and supportive home Brazilian crowd, was the surprise winner at the $150,000 Banco Cruzerio do Sul Rio Champions Cup Sunday, defeating Mark Philippoussis of Australia 6-2, 4-6, 10-8 (Champions Tie-Breaker) in the singles final.
Meligeni earned $60,000 for winning the opening event on the 2010 Champions Series tennis circuit, the U.S.-based international tennis circuit for champion tennis players age 30 and over. His debut Champions Series title also earned him 800 ranking points on the year-long race to determine to circuits No. 1 player.
The match featured world-class shot-making from both players with Philippousiss turning the match around in the second set after Meligeni began play with scintillating tennis in the opening set. In the Champions Tie-Breaker, the first-to-ten-point tie-breaker played in lieu of a third set, Meligeni jumped to an 8-2 lead, but Philippoussis clawed his way back to 9-8. Meligeni then clinched the title by slapping a running forehand passing shot after a long rally to seal the victory.
It was so much fun to be here with these guys and to play and win, said Meligeni, best known for a fourth-place finish at the 1996 Olympic Games and a semifinal showing at the 1999 French Open. I couldnt imagine that I would be here lifting the trophy today. Before the event started, I felt like a stranger among so many great champions. I was the only one that hadnt reached the top 10 and here I am with this trophy. I hung in there, fought until the last ball, as I used to do in my days in the pro tour, and am really enjoying this moment.
The Brazilian left-hander gave an emotional speech to the crowd in the post-match awards ceremony, saying how special it was for his six-month-old son, Gael, to be present at one of his tennis matches for the first time.
He is my motivation, he said of his infant son.
Meligeni, who will turn 39 on April 12, is from Sao Paulo, Brazil and was a local wild card entrant into the event. He lost to Leander Paes in the bronze medal match at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, and had a run to the semifinals at the French Open in 1999, where he lost to Andrei Medvedev. He ended his ATP World Tour career at the 2003 Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, where he beat Marcelo Rios in the gold medal match. His only previous event on the Champions Series circuit came last year in Rio where he finished with a 1-2 round-robin record.
He claimed the title this week on the fast courts of the Maracanãzinho Stadium by winning all three of his matches in Champions Tie-Breakers. In Fridays quarterfinals, he defeated Mikael Pernfors of Sweden 3-6, 6-2, 10-7 (Champions Tie-Breaker) while he beat Wayne Ferreira of South Africa 7-5, 2-6, 10-2 (Champions Tie-Breaker) in Saturdays semifinals.
A tennis player has to be able to adapt himself, said Meligeni. The court here was very fast and I knew playing Mark was going to be very tough, especially with his serve. But, as I said after the first match, I felt like I got another chance at the tournament, because I started playing poorly and turned the match around. Today, all I could feel is that I was flying on the court and not slow as on the first day.
Philippoussis, 33, said he was happy with his play and results in Rio, but he was most pleased with the way that his body held up after three years of battling injuries.
It was a very good week for me, said Philippoussis. I served well in the last two matches, but today wasnt the same. But I am happy with myself. I dont mean to be repetitive but I feel I am in the right way. My body is good and I am feeling better everyday.
Philippoussis first joined the Champions Series circuit in 2007 after recovering from right knee surgery early in the year that curtailed his comeback on to the ATP World Tour. He was unable to play competitive tennis in 2008, due to continued knee problems, but returned to the Champions Series in 2009, with a third-place finish in Grand Cayman being his best result prior to his runner-up showing this week. His best ATP World Tour results came in finishing as the runner-up at the U.S. Open in 1998, losing to Patrick Rafter, and losing to Roger Federer in the 2003 Wimbledon final.
In Sundays third-place match, Ferreira defeated Mats Wilander of Sweden 2-6, 6-2, 10-7 (Champions Tie-Breaker) to earn $25,000. Philippoussis earned $30,000 for his runner-up showing, while Wilander pocketed $15,000 for finishing fourth.
Philippoussis, Ferreira and Wilander will also be in the field for the next Champions Series event, the Staples Champions Cup, to be held April 29-May 2 in Boston, Mass. The event will also feature Bjorn Borg playing in his first tournament in the United States in 10 years. Other competitors include John McEnroe, Jim Courier, Jimmy Arias and Pernfors.
Courier finished the 2009 season as the top-ranked player on the Champions Series, followed by Pete Sampras and Todd Martin. McEnroe won the inaugural Rio Champions Cup in 2009, defeating Courier 6-2, 6-3 in the final.
InsideOut Sports + Entertainment is a New York City-based independent producer of proprietary events and promotions founded in 2004 by former world No. 1 and Hall of Fame tennis player Jim Courier and former SFX and Clear Channel executive Jon Venison. In 2005, InsideOut launched its signature property, the Champions Series tennis circuit, a collection of tournaments featuring the greatest names in tennis over the age of 30. In addition, InsideOut produces many other successful events including “Legendary Night” exhibitions, charity events, corporate outings and tennis fantasy camps such as the annual “Ultimate Fantasy Camp”. Through 2009, InsideOut Sports + Entertainment events have raised over $4 million for charity. For more information, please log on to www.InsideOutSE.com or www.ChampionsSeriesTennis.com or follow on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
CHAMPIONS SERIES ON VIDEO
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