SSZ Cup 2007 – ITF Futures - report

SSZ Cup 2007 – ITF Futures

Tournament subsidized with 1000 Euros took place under the patronage of Roman Onderka, the mayor of the statutory city of Brno and Miloš Šifalda, member of the Southern Moravian region council. This event was organised by Czech Wheelchair Tennis Union together with its marketing agency ARS Production. Financial support for the tournament came also from city of Brno and the Southern Moravian region. As well as in the last year players seeded in the first twenty at the world chart could not take part in this ITF Futures tournament, but the spectators still did not have to resign themselves to the absence of best Czech player Miroslav Brychta. His current position at the chart oscillates somewhere around the half of the third ten, that’s why he could participate in the SSZ Cup 2007 unlike the last year. All the matches were marked with the taste of an attractive and prestigious fight. There were two players struggling for the victory at the tournament. On one side, it was Miroslav Brychta, tenfold winner of this event (22nd position at the IWTA chart) and last year’s winner Steffen Sommerfeld from Germany (34th position). Other candidates were the tournament’s number three Michal Stefanu from Nachod (48th position) and Marek Gergely (69th position) from Slovakia. There were also other players who could noticeably influence the final listing - Albin Batycki from Poland (85th position), Slovakian David Chabrecek (95th postion), another Pole Jerzy Kulik (115th position) and Dalibor Potucek from Karviná (116th position).

The ballot in the Main draw singles was acceptable for all the front-runners since they have all fought their way through the first round. Brychta, Stefanu, Kulik, Gergely and Sommerfeld had a free ballot in it and the others managed their matches in a brilliant way. Dalibor Potůček outplayed Tomáš Jochymek from Brno, David Chabreček defeated Tomáš Kvoch and Albin Batycki gave a lesson to Slovakian player Tomáš Masaryk. Eight tourney’s brightest stars dealt admirably with their rivals in also the next round and made their ways to the quarter-final. Brychta defeated Miroslav Klečka from Brno, Potůček won over Michal Kubát from Prague, and Stefanu knocked out the Slovinian player Vidmar. Kulik got the match against Guidem Nespethalem from Germany, Chabreček outplayed Pole Szary, Gergely sent home another Polish junior Mietrikiewicz, Batycki played better than Jan Hašek from Závist near Prague and Sommerfeld defeated Sember from Opava. Verity of the chart listing was confirmed in the quarter-final matches as well. The complete tournament’s elite foursome made their way to the semi-final. Brychta eliminated Potůček 6/1, 6/0, Stefanu beat Kulik 6/1, 6/2, Gergely get round his representation colleague Chabreček 6/2, 6/1 and Sommerfeld won over Batycki 6/4, 6/3. Both two semi-finals literally trimmed the Brno tournament. Spectators at the TC Classic tennis courts witnesses two two-sets fights both won by the most experienced players. Miroslav Brychta had a surprisingly difficult job defeating Michal Stefanu, who gained the second set, but finally lost 4/6, 6/4, 2/6. Even Steffen Sommerfeld encountered a marvellously playing opponent, for which he was not able to find an effective weapon for a long time. Marek Gergely proved that his youth is no obstruction for him and he caused the favourite many troubles in the first two sets. The German player finally won 6/2, 4/6, 6/4, but he seemed very relieved after the match. Steffen Sommerfeld was obviously expecting another drama in the finals, where he was facing denary winner Miroslav Brychta, but his apprehension did not prove right. Although Brychta was fighting very bravely, this year he was not able to outplay an excellently playing Berlin resident. After two sets 6/3, 6/4 raised Steffen Sommerfeld his hands in a winning gesture almost as surprisingly and spontaneously as last year.

There was another reason to be happy for Sommerfeld. He repeated his performance in the doubles, where his partner was Michal Stefanu. This first seeded duo eliminated Batycki with Kulik on thier way to the final 6/2, 6/1 and Chabreček with Nespethal 6/1, 6/2. Their final opponents – Brychta with Gergely – step by step defeated Fiala with Semeber (who were playing in spite of Michal Sember being injured) and Masaryk with Potůček 6/1, 6/3. The final match was dramatic only in the first set, which came to a head by a breathtaking tie-break. Stefanu with Sommerfeld were more successful, which was proved in the second set as well. The Czech-German duo played far more calmly and precisely in it, which brought them the victory 7/6(1), 6/2 and first common Brno titul.