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Post by TennisHack on Jan 19, 2005 3:11:21 GMT -5
I wonder if Jarkko's already married -- note the ring on his necklace, which was not there last year. Damn media guide being late
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Post by TennisHack on Jan 21, 2005 13:31:44 GMT -5
Hot Federer eases into fourth round Fri Jan 21, 2005 09:36 AM GMT By Paul Tait
MELBOURNE, Jan 21 (Reuters) - Champion Roger Federer continued his stroll through the Australian Open draw on Friday when unseeded Jarkko Nieminen retired hurt during their third round match.
World number one Federer, an almost unbackable favourite to defend his title, was leading comfortably 6-3 5-2 when the Finn was forced to pull out after straining a stomach muscle during the first set.
The tricky left-hander needed treatment for the injury after the set and winced in pain as he was massaged by a trainer.
Federer was left to rue the loss of precious match time on Rod Laver Arena centre court.
"I always want to play better than I am...but as long as I'm not really losing the match, losing sets, you know, that's fine," Federer said.
The red-hot Swiss got off to a slow start and dropped his opening service game of the match, one his few setbacks so far.
"It was a little unusual, you know...I wasn't happy," he said.
"I was a little irritated after that...because I had the feeling this could be a tough match. But I bounced back and slowly started to feel that there was a chance on his serve and this is when I really started to play better," he said.
RICH FORM
Federer never appeared to be under any serious threat. He easily broke back twice to take the first set in 31 minutes.
Nieminen said he hurt his stomach in training last week and aggravated it during his second service game of the first set.
He said he wanted to continue because the match was such a big occasion for him and tried to slow his serve down to ease the pain. Eventually he had no choice but to pull out or risk long-term damage.
"It was hurting but I tried to delay it as long as I could because my game felt good," Nieminen said.
Federer, who won three of the four grand slam titles in 2004, has been in such rich form that the rare blemish of dropping his serve stunned the centre court crowd into silence.
"At times in matches, you know, when I get broken, people are surprised. So I don't want to know how it is when I lose a set," said Federer, who dropped a set against French Open champion Gaston Gaudio during a warm-up event last week.
The peerless Federer has not dropped a set since and is one of the hottest favourites in tennis history to win the event.
Federer broke Nieminen twice more during the second set but the Finn, who upset 27th seed Paradorn Srichaphan of Thailand in the second round, was clearly struggling with his injury.
Federer remains on track to become the first man since Pete Sampras in 1993/1994 to win three consecutive grand slam events.
He has shown a complete range of skills so far in the tournament. To counter the unpredictable Nieminen he rushed the net as often as possible, a tactic which comfortably gave him control of the match.
"I just had the feeling, you know, if I can play a couple of good volleys and make him feel the pressure, that he really has to hit great passing shots," Federer said.
"I can break his rhythm like this. That was the reason why I did it," said Federer, who won 20 of the 32 points he played at the net.
Federer will play either 13th seed Tommy Robredo of Spain or Cypriot qualifier Marcos Baghdatis in the fourth round, with four-times champion and eighth seed Andre Agassi looming in the quarter-finals.
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Post by TennisHack on Mar 14, 2005 2:01:18 GMT -5
Ooh la la! Jarkko Nieminen, from Finland, returns against Russia's Marat Safin during the men's second-round of Pacific Life Open, Sunday, March 13, 2005, in Indian Wells, Calif. (AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)
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Post by TennisHack on May 17, 2005 15:36:19 GMT -5
Men's Qualies: favourites on cruise controlBy Guillaume Baraise Tuesday, May 17, 2005 The opening day in the 2005 Paris Open qualifying tournament saw the favourites cruise through: American James Blake, Italian Andreas Seppi, Finn Jarkko Nieminen and Swiss ace Stanislas Wawrinka all advanced comfortably. Despite cloudy skies this morning, tennis fans turned up in numbers for the first "qualies" on the red clay. And they were rewarded with some fine performances by the seeded players as well as sunnier weather as the day drew on. Stanislas Wawrinka from Switzerland, who won the junior tournament here two years ago, became the first victor in the 2005 qualifying tournament just before 10am. The second seed made short work of German hopeful Tobias Summerer (6/1, 6/1). Home fans then witnessed a disappointing showing from local boy Jérôme Golmard: the former Monte-Carlo semi-finalist, whose career has been sadly beleaguered by injury, was no match for Brazilian Julio Silva (6/0, 6/2). Seppi skids on The day's first two encounters proved to be a measure of things to come throughout the afternoon as the seeds skidded through and the French players slumped out. Top seed Andreas Seppi, who reached the quarters in Hamburg recently advanced smoothly. Germany's Thomas Behrend (n°3) only dropped three games, Finland's Jarkko Nieminen (n°4) who has missed much of the season with an injury to his left wrist showed he is back at his best. Talented Belgian Kristof Vliegen (n°20) and Serbian Novak Djokovic (n°15) both made excellent starts. Blake in the limelight Eagerly awaited by the fans, James Blake, seeded 13 in the world only two years ago, overcame his compatriot Cecil Mamiit (6/4, 7/6). But the American's performance remained unconvincing, despite it being his 11th straight win after triumphs in back-to-back Challenger tournaments in the US. Undoubtedly the biggest draw of the men's qualifying tournament, Blake next meets the unpredictable Georgian Irakli Labadze. The opening day was not without its surprises, however. Former Australian Open semi-finalist Nicolas Lapentti (n°11) was upset by 18 year-old Frenchman Jérémy Chardy (3/6, 6/3, 7/5). Other local heroes like Nicolas Mahut (n°13) and Olivier Mutis (n°14) did not fare so well. The disappointment will be especially acute for the latter after reaching the last sixteen here last year and beating Andy Roddick in a scintillating match along the way.... Photo by: FFT
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Post by TennisHack on May 19, 2005 22:13:09 GMT -5
Qualies: Rubin goes out!By Guillaume Baraise Wednesday, May 18, 2005 Day two at the Paris Open qualifiers saw the elimination in the second round of Chanda Rubin, the former world number 6. In the men's event, meanwhile, the Finn Jarkko Nieminen is only one win away from claiming a place in the tournament proper. The qualifiers at Roland-Garros often see the emergence of promising youngsters; they also provide an opportunity to check out better-known faces as they attempt to recreate their glory years. And so it was today, as many of the spectators who poured along the stadium's walkways on this sunny Wednesday morning found themselves cheering on a former world number six, three-time finalist at "Roland", 1996 Australian Open semi-finalist and winner of seven WTA tour titles. But at 29, Chanda Rubin is no longer the champion she once was, her career having been disrupted by almost every injury imaginable. Operated on in 2001, her left knee has been giving her trouble recently, and the problem hasn't gone away. Consequently, until this week, the American had not been seen at a major tournament since September 2004! No surprise, therefore, that her return to competition proved problematic in Paris. Her ranking of 127th in the world earned her seeded status (14th) here, but her compatriot Bethanie Mattek was far from overawed, winning 2/6, 6/3, 6/1. The flying Finn Rubin's exit illustrates the extremely high standard of these "qualies", which have already turned up several young talents in full bloom. Michaella Krajicek (seeded 6), Richard's half-sister, overcame the first hurdle without difficulty. Other players more accustomed to the limelight of big tournaments, such as the American Meilen Tu, Belgium's Els Callens, Hungary's Petra Mandula (a former quarter-finalist in Paris) and the Argentine Clarisa Fernandez (a semi-finalist in 2002) have all survived the first round. The men, for their part, are already well into the second round. Having made the last sixteen at Paris in 2003, Jarkko Nieminen (seeded 4) is a player many at this level will want to avoid, as is James Blake, due to play Thursday. Fully recovered from his wrist injury suffered last year, the Finn Nieminen was flying on court today (Wednesday), leaving the Swede Filip Prpic powerless to resist (6/0, 6/3). Germany's Tomas Behrend (3rd seed) is looking equally impressive, dropping just eight games in two matches. On the whole, the matches are following the formbook, but there's still a long way to go to reach the Promised Land…
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Post by TennisHack on May 19, 2005 22:16:27 GMT -5
Qualies: glory within their graspBy Guillaume Baraise Thursday, May 19, 2005 For all survivors of this Thursday, only one more win is required to join the competition proper. James Blake, Jarkko Nieminen and even Antony Dupuis all look set to stay a while longer in Paris. The Roland Garros qualifiers are about to enter their decisive stage tomorrow: the third round, synonymous with entry to the full tournament for the winners. A few well-known faces will not be in the shake-up: Chanda Rubin, among the women, and Bohdan Ulihrach and Andre Seppi, among the men, have already blown their chances. This Thursday was notable for the latest feat of the Frenchman Nicolas Devilder, who has now saved a total of eight match points in two rounds. The favourites, for their part, were not unduly troubled today. James Blake (seeded 17), for example, remains on course after his success over the Georgian Irakli Labadze (6/4, 5/7, 6/4). One more win and the American could easily poop the party of some big-name player in the first round next week. Even more impressively, Jarkko Nieminen (4th seed) has left only a few crumbs to his opponents so far. Antony Dupuis (seeded 8) is also on form, while the Belgian Kristof Vliegen (20th seed) has made a good impression too. Meanwhile, there was good news for Stanislas Wawrinka (2nd seed) and Thomas Behrend (seeded 3), both of whom had a day off this Thursday. For even if they lose on Friday, the Swiss and the German will be guaranteed a place in the French Open as lucky losers after the withdrawals today of Lleyton Hewitt and Taylor Dent. The third round of the men's "qualies" has a particularly cosmopolitan air, with no less than 15 nations represented. In the women's event, the 2002 semi-finalist Clarisa Fernandez is still involved, but the Argentine came within a whisker of exiting today. Hampered by recurring knee pains, she saved two match points before seeing off the Spaniard Laura Pous Tio (seeded 3) (1/6, 7/5, 10/8). Michaella Krajicek, meanwhile, is slowly making a name for herself. Richard's half-sister seems well placed to contest her first Roland-Garros, her first two matches having been akin to a stroll in the park. The same can also be said for the Hungarian Petra Mandula, a quarter-finalist in 2001. But all still have one last leg of the journey to complete. Usually the hardest leg and the the most emotionally charged…
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Post by TennisHack on May 24, 2005 16:57:12 GMT -5
Injured Agassi fallsBy Matthew Cronin Tuesday, May 24, 2005 Former champion Andre Agassi may have played his last Roland Garros after barely being able to limp through the last two sets of his 7-5, 4-6, 6-7, 6-1, 6-0 first round loss to Jarkko Nieminen. After gutting out the third set tiebreaker, Agassi lost his ability to run and the power on his shots in the final two sets. The American has been suffering from a nerve injury in his back for the past two and half years, which also affects his right hip and leg. The injury also nearly forced him to pull out of the Australian Open. He considered retiring after the third set, but couldn't imagine possibly walking off a wounded animal. Leaving the court to warm applause, Agassi choked back tears. "I couldn't walk off the court. I just didn't want to leave that way," said Agassi. "It's bad. It's something that needs to be addressed because I can't be out there like that. I literally hurt. He did what he needed to do, given the circumstances. It's surprising that it can happen like that, but it's obviously what I have to live with." The 35-year-old American has said that he's planning on continuing his career until his body tells him to stop, or until he can no longer compete at an elite level. That time may be coming soon. He took a cortisone shot on February 8 and plans on taking another one before Wimbledon in the hope that he can last three out of five sets again. But he's unsure whether the injury will fully heal and has said in the past that he doesn't want to undergo surgery again. "I don't enjoy feeling that way," he said. "I don't enjoy being on the court like that. There were a lot of things about today that were difficult. But something tells me I'm at a stage of my career where I'm going to be living with these injections because this is unplayable when it feels like this. There's nothing you can do to get comfortable. To be out there against some of the best athletes in the world, it's impossible. " Agassi has vowed to play until the end of the year before considering retirement again. The eight-time Grand Slam champ said he's willing to endure more pain even for a few more months of decent tennis. Even though he has only won two titles in the past two years, he still believes he has one more run left in him. "It's what I do until I don't do it any more and it's given me a lot. I'll assess the necessary components at the end of the year," said Agassi, who is married to former Roland Garros champ Steffi Graf, with whom he has two children. "But I can't afford to pollute the potential of my winning matches or tournaments with sitting on the fence, with where I am, what I'm doing, why I'm doing it. Some things you have to question; other things you have to not question. You have to just put your head down and work. So I don't use every day as an opportunity to second guess myself, as easy as it is sometimes. I choose to put my head down and work and look at it at the end of the year."
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Post by TennisHack on May 24, 2005 17:01:35 GMT -5
Photo by: FFT
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Post by TennisHack on Jun 5, 2005 13:45:17 GMT -5
Jarkko wins the big €125K+H Prostejov challenger! A huge congrats to him, only wish he could've done better at RG instead.
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Post by TennisHack on Jun 7, 2005 2:16:03 GMT -5
Jarkko Nieminen takes ATP Challenger victory and takes to wifeFinland's tennis No.1 Jarkko Nieminen was knocked out of the French Open in the second round, but he chose not to sit on his hands for the second week of the event. Instead he signed up for an ATP Challenger series tournament in the Czech Republic - and he went on to win it. Nieminen enjoyed a 6-1, 6-3 straight sets victory in Sunday's final over Czech Ivo Minar . Neither player was among those seeded for the tournament. Nieminen collected USD 18,000 in prize money, rather less than he won for making it past Andre Agassi in the first round in Paris. He has now won seven Challenger events, but is still waiting for his first victory on the full ATP Tour, despite four appearances as a finalist. Nieminen will not be taking part in the traditional pre-Wimbledon tournament on the grass of Queens' Club in London this week. He is returning instead to Finland. There is a sound reason for his decision to skip the Wimbledon warm-up: Nieminen is to marry his fiancée Anu Weckström at the end of this week.
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Post by TennisHack on Jun 21, 2005 20:01:27 GMT -5
Finland's Jarkko Nieminen returns to Britain's Tim Henman during a first round match in Wimbledon Tuesday, June 21, 2005. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Finland's Jarkko Nieminen returns to Britain's Tim Henman during their Men's Singles, first round match on the Cedntre Court at Wimbledon Tuesday, June 21, 2005. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Finland's Jarkko Nieminen stretches to reach a shot from Britain's Tim Henman during their Men's Singles, first round match on the Centre Court at Wimbledon Tuesday, June 21, 2005. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant) Finland's Jarkko Nieminen smiles during his loss to Britain's Tim Henman during a first round match in Wimbledon Tuesday, June 21, 2005. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
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Post by TennisHack on Jun 21, 2005 20:30:55 GMT -5
Too soon to panic, says Henman 2005-06-21 19:25:13 GMT (Reuters) By Ossian Shine
LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) - At two sets down in the first round of Wimbledon Tim Henman wasn't about to panic -- he knew it couldn't get any worse.
"Don't get me wrong, it's not a good situation to be in, two sets to love down. But ... I didn't really feel like I was going to play much worse," he said after scraping a 3-6 6-7 6-4 7-5 6-2 win over obscure Finn Jarkko Nieminen.
"It was pretty clear for everyone to see that it was a struggle to start off with.
"I wasn't particularly pleased with the way I was playing, and he was certainly making life difficult for me. I needed to try and sort of break out of that.
"I was not playing well ... I was flat with my attitude and my body language on the court.
"Slowly but surely I started to play better... found a way to get through it.
"I was just frustrated for whatever reason. It doesn't happen very often. But I was, you know, struggling with my sort of incompetence to execute shots, and I needed to, you know, change that."
Henman is bidding to become Britain's first men's champion at Wimbledon for 69 years and said his desire to triumph at his home grand slam had driven him on.
"LIE DOWN"
"I'm never going to lie down in any event," the 30-year-old said. "But here at Wimbledon, with the record that I've had and how much I enjoy playing, I had to do something," the four-times semi-finalist added.
"Certainly as the match wore on, the crowd started to get more and more into it. It's a good one to get through.
"I'm not going to say it's easy, but it's pretty straightforward. When everything is going well and you're playing well, and with my ability, I'm going to beat most of these people.
"But these are the type of matches they're going to make you or break you. And I found a way to get through it.
"I certainly wouldn't have enjoyed coming here and going out in those circumstances.
"As I said, you really have to dig deep, and that's certainly a big positive for me. I fought hard and was able to turn it around and get myself through to the next match.
"And certainly I'll be looking to play better on Thursday."
Sixth seed Henman next plays Russian Dimitry Tursunov.
"He's not necessarily a guy that's had that much grasscourt experience," Henman said. "I'm going to be focusing a lot on my game. I still feel like if I improve, I've got a good chance."
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Post by TennisHack on Jul 23, 2005 17:31:56 GMT -5
Finland's Jarkko Nieminen stretches for the ball during the semifinal match against Spain's Rafael Nadal at the MercedesCup ATP tennis tournament in Stuttgart, southwestern Germany, on Saturday, July 23, 2005. Nadal won 6-2, 7-5. (AP Photo/Daniel Maurer)
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Post by TennisHack on Aug 3, 2005 20:52:17 GMT -5
Bob Larson's Men's Match of the Day Sopot - First Round Jarkko Nieminen def. Mariano Puerta (1) 6-4 7-6(7-1)
Most rechargeable batteries take at least three times as long to juice up as it takes to discharge them at maximum usage. Maybe that's Mariano Puerta's problem. He had a great year in 2000, then needed four years to recover, and now, having had an even greater year in 2005, he's used up all the accumulated energy. How else do you explain back-to-back weak losses at weak clay events?
When Puerta lost last week, we calculated that he could expect to end the year probably around #15, because he'll be losing optional events and replacing them with required non-clay tournaments where he is unlikely to do well. Obviously this result gives us little reason to think anything different. At least it gives Puerta a few more days to get ready for hardcourts. Small consolation, probably.
Jarkko Nieminen has his ranking high enough now that a first round win isn't likely to make much difference. On the other hand, this can only help his confidence -- and he suddenly has a wide-open draw, too.
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Post by TennisHack on Sept 4, 2005 20:33:45 GMT -5
Jarkko Nieminen Advances at U.S. Open By BOB GREENE, For The Associated Press Sunday, September 4, 2005
(09-04) 16:51 PDT NEW YORK, (AP) -- Playing better as he gets deeper into the tournament, Finland's Jarkko Nieminen grabbed a spot in the fourth round of the U.S. Open on Sunday by knocking off No. 30-seeded Max Mirnyi 6-3, 7-6 (5), 3-6, 6-3.
"I'm very satisfied with how I've played here," Nieminen said. "There are only 16 players left. It's a great feeling."
Nieminen's next opponent will be Fernando Verdasco of Spain, a 6-1, 4-6, 6-7 (2), 6-4, 6-4 winner Sunday over Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
"He's a very talented player," Nieminen said of Verdasco. "He has the potential to be a really good player. I have to play well to beat him."
It will be a battle of the only two left-handers left in the men's singles. And it is the first time a player from Finland has reached the fourth round at a Grand Slam since Nieminen did it at the French Open two years ago.
Only one other Finn, Veli Paloheimo at the 1990 Australian Open, has advanced this deep in a major tournament.
Mirnyi, from Belarus, reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, snapping a string of seven consecutive first-round losses at Grand Slam events, including on the hard courts at the National Tennis Center in 2003 and '04.
Against Nieminen, Mirnyi served 21 aces. But the steady Finn was much better off the ground, making only 17 unforced errors while pounding out 58 winners. Mirnyi committed 43 unforced errors.
Nieminen dominated from the backcourt, hitting 20 forehand winners and 28 from the backhand side. Mirnyi, on the other hand, won most of his points, 28, at the net.
"He put a lot of pressure on me," Nieminen said.
Besides being delighted with playing in the second week, Nieminen is excited about the way he's playing.
"It's my best match here and I feel like I'm playing better," he said. "I have played better this year, and I feel better, on and off the court."
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Post by TennisHack on Sept 6, 2005 15:47:46 GMT -5
A Finnish FirstBy Richard Pagliaro 09/06/2005 www.sportsmediainc.com/tennisweek/index.cfm?func=showarticle&newsid=13788&bannerregion=Perspiration poured from Jarkko Nieminen's palms as physical sign of pressure in today's second-set tiebreak. Taking a momentary break from the action, the 57th-ranked Nieminen walked behind the baseline and pressed his sweaty palm in a semicircle around the blue wall looking like a finger painter eager to make his mark on a blue canvas. Stepping back to admire his handiwork, Nieminen proceeded to craft a Finnish first that was a win worth framing. In the only match of left-handers during this U.S. Open men's draw, Nieminen defeated a distracted Fernando Verdasco, 6-2, 7-6(6), 6-3, to make history as the first Finn to reach the final eight of a Grand Slam tournament. The 1999 U.S. Open boys' champion, Nieminen's best result in a Grand Slam had been a trip to the fourth round of Roland Garros in 2003, equaling the best result for a Finnish man. Veli Paloheimo reached the fourth round of the 1990 Australian Open before bowing to Mats Wilander in straight sets. "I haven't been this far in a Grand Slam. Beating four good players in a row, and all the best players are playing here at the moment," Nieminen said. "I'm still playing in the quarterfinals, so yeah, (it is) my best achievement." Nieminen's next match will be his toughest test of the tournament as he takes on two-time finalist Lleyton Hewitt for a place in the final four. The third-seeded Hewitt broke serve eight times to sweep 15th-seeded Dominik Hrbaty, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 and advance to the quarterfinals for the sixth straight year. Pushed to five sets in the third round by American serve-and-volleyer Taylor Dent, Hewitt picked Hrbaty apart in baseline exchanges today. The 2001 U.S. Open champion carries a 2-0 career record against Nieminen into the match, but the pair have not played since 2002. "It will be a tough battle," Nieminen said. "He's always fighting hard and playing very solid. I lost to him twice...now it's a different time and I'm playing really well at the moment. I almost feel that I'm playing better in every match and really I have nothing to lose." Surprisingly, Verdasco played the passionless tennis of a man who failed to grasp the value of victory today. Verdasco lacked the intensity and sense of urgency he showed in toppling 12th-seeded Tim Henman in the opening round and surviving a 6-1, 4-6, 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 triumph over 18-year-old Serbian Novak Djokovic in a three-hour, four-minute third-round victory. Looking lethargic from the outset, tossing his racquet on occasion and constantly chatting with his court-side support box, Verdasco could not consistently find the court in committing 66 unforced errors, but said fatigue was not a factor in his loss. "I just had a very bad feeling on the court," Verdasco said. "I didn't feel tired. But my serve and forehand are my best shots and I didn't feel right on the serve or forehand. I don't know what happened; I just didn't feel well on those shots." The 21-year-old Spaniard lined a forehand winner to earn a set point with Nieminen serving at 5-4 in the second set, but followed with a forehand into the net to give back the break point. The sequence reflected Verdasco's day: he never found his rhythm or range from the baseline and Nieminen exploited the erratic play by altering the spins and speeds of his shots to permit his opponent to implode. "I think I played smart today; I think that's my strongest part, I can adjust my game," Nieminen said. "I was changing the pace and tempo in the first and it was working very well. Even in the second set, it was working . I hit a little bit slower and then harder. That's why he was missing a lot." The biggest miss came in the tiebreak when Verdasco, standing two steps inside the service line, but staring into the sun, netted an overhead to fall to 4-4. Verdasco saved a set point with a 129 mph ace, but smacked a double fault off the top of the tape to give Nieminen the second set and propel him on the path to making Finnish history. In a country where ice hockey rules the sporting culture, Nieminen is hopeful his results will elevate the popularity of tennis. "It's getting more popular. Hopefully, this helps even more when I play well here," Nieminen said. "The media is really following my games and they are showing some of my matches on TV. It's getting bigger. It hasn't been that big before, but when I reached the top 100 in 2001 they started to write more about tennis and some young children started to play more tennis than before." The best tennis player in Finland's history had not played his best hard-court tennis prior to arriving in New York. The 24-year-old Nieminen had not won more than two tournament matches in a row on hard court in 2005 and fell out of New Haven with a first round loss to Scoville Jenkins two weeks ago. Despite his recent hard-court struggles, Nieminen, who beat Andre Agassi at Roland Garros, believed he was on the verge of a break through. "Before coming here, I knew that if I'm playing well, I have chances to play during the second week and win even more than that," Nieminen said. "Now, I'm playing here. Of course, I'm happy with what I have already achieved, but I try to forget those now and try to focus for the next match and then think about all the wins after this tournament."
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Post by TennisHack on Sept 6, 2005 15:53:51 GMT -5
Nieminen Finn-ishes Verdasco for Quarterfinal Firstby Mike Dempsey Tuesday, September 6, 2005 www.usopen.org/en_US/news/reports/2005-09-06/200509061126027567255.htmlThe last two lefties in the 2005 US Open men's draw faced off in Louis Armstrong Stadium Tuesday, with Jarkko Nieminen beating young Spaniard Fernando Verdasco, 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-2. The unseeded Nieminen became the first Finnish man to make the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam. Nieminen, the 1999 US Open boys' champion, fell to his back after watching Verdasco's final shot land a few feet behind the baseline. The yellow-shirted Finn took advantage of Verdasco's tough day by committing only 14 unforced errors, as the 21-year-old Verdasco committed 66 unforced errors and 8 double faults. "In the third set, I noticed that he wasn't mentally that strong during the first two sets," Nieminen said. "He was like little bit hopeless, try to hit winners almost from everywhere. That's why I let him in." The second set provided the most drama as the lefties could not break each other for 55 minutes. Verdasco came close to turning the momentum in his favor in the set. It was knotted at 6-6 before Verdasco double-faulted and hit a cross-court volley 12 feet long to hand Nieminen the set. The frustrated Verdasco slammed his racket into the ground. When Verdasco's serve was working, he looked dominating. Unfortunately, it was not working very often. Nieminen handled his returns with aplomb, particularly his backhand, which consistently found spots just beyond Verdasco's reach. Nieminen improved his record against other lefties to 14-8, while Verdasco fell to 8-8 vs. lefties. The Finn will face No. 3 seed Lleyton Hewitt in the quarterfinals. "I think that my strong point [is] to (assess) the game and change the pace and the tempo," said Nieminen about facing the Australian. "I think you have to really do that well against Hewitt because if you hit so hard, he's moving great, and just the ball comes hard back, and you can't just let him play because he's making you move." Jarkko Nieminen of Finland serving up to Fernando Verdasco of Spain in a Men's Quarterfinal match. Nieminen would go on to win 6-2, 7-6(6), 6-3. Photo by Jonathan Fickies/usopen.org
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Post by TennisHack on Sept 6, 2005 15:54:53 GMT -5
Transcribed Interview
J. NIEMINEN/F. Verdasco
6‑2, 7‑6, 6‑3
An interview with:
JARKKO NIEMINEN
THE MODERATOR: First question, please.
Q. Is this your best win, best day of your career so far? JARKKO NIEMINEN: Yeah, well, I have to say that. I haven't been this far in a Grand Slam. Beating four good players, you know, in a row, and all the best players are playing here at the moment. I'm still playing in quarterfinals, so it's, yeah, my best achievement.
Q. How well do you know Ville Liukko? JARKKO NIEMINEN: I know him.
Q. Now you've gone farther than any other Finnish player in a Grand Slam. JARKKO NIEMINEN: Yeah, I think so. I don't actually know the record. But I knew ‑‑ I remember that he reached fourth round once in Australia, and I did it in Paris ‑ was it two years ago ‑ and this is my second time to reach the fourth round. But now it's even better.
Q. So marriage agrees with you? JARKKO NIEMINEN: Yeah (smiling).
Q. Has that made a difference for you in terms of your attitude on the court? JARKKO NIEMINEN: I think it doesn't matter. If the player is very happy, also happy off the court, it helps, I think, everything.
Q. You've had some stomach muscle problems this year and had to retire from a couple of matches. No problem with the stomach muscles anymore? JARKKO NIEMINEN: No. No problem. I feel, touch wood (knocking on the desk.) I had a lot of bad luck started last year when I broke my wrist, and then I was sick in end of year. And then in Australia I pulled my stomach muscle, so I lost my ranking. I dropped to maybe 130, around 140. Now I'm almost back.
Q. Since Umag are you still getting therapy for it? JARKKO NIEMINEN: No, in Umag I was just sick, like just I had fever. I didn't have any problems with the stomach, stomach muscle so...
Q. Assuming Lleyton wins, what do you think about playing him? What's difficult about playing him? JARKKO NIEMINEN: Well, it will be a tough battle. He's always fighting hard and playing very solid. If he wins today, it will be my third time against him. I lost to him twice, once in Cincinnati, that was a three‑setter; I won the first set there. I played pretty well there, but then I lost quite easy in Paris. So now it's different time, and I'm playing really well at the moment. I almost feel that I'm playing better in every match, and really I have nothing to lose. Before coming here, I knew that if I'm playing well, I have chances to play during the second week and go even ‑‑ I win even more that. Now I'm playing here. Of course I am happy what I have already reached, but I try to forget those now and try to focus for the next match and then think about all the wins after this tournament.
Q. Why is your confidence growing? JARKKO NIEMINEN: Well, this year I have played many good matches where really I have beat many good players. I beat Agassi in Paris, I beat Puerta in Sopot after he reached finals in Paris. Also some other good wins. I have played pretty up and down. I have had really good weeks and then some bad weeks. But when I have been playing well, I felt that I can really challenge the top guys, and I beat some of the Top 10 guys. So that gives a lot of confidence. I just have been working to get my game more solid that I wouldn't have those bad games and bad weeks anymore.
Q. Are you training primarily in Sweden? JARKKO NIEMINEN: No, I train in Finland, sometimes in Helsinki, sometimes in Stockholm, and sometimes in Copenhagen. So in Scandinavia.
Q. Wherever it's warm. JARKKO NIEMINEN: Yeah.
Q. Is tennis popular? JARKKO NIEMINEN: It's getting more popular. Hopefully, this helps even more, when I play ‑‑ I play well here. The media is really following my games and they are showing some of my matches on TV. It's getting bigger. It hasn't been that big before, but when I reached Top 100 in 2001, they started to ‑‑ like newspapers, they started to write more about tennis, and some young children started to play more tennis than before.
Q. Was it hard getting into tennis at a high level in Finland?JARKKO NIEMINEN: For me?
Q. Yes. JARKKO NIEMINEN: No, I had pretty good junior career. I was always succeed in Finland, so like I competing well since I was 10 years old. Then I went to Sweden, and then to Europe, then I came here and compete here.I mean, it's not easy, but they always had really good players in Sweden, so I don't have ‑‑ I don't see the reason why we couldn't have more like good players. But of course in Sweden they have huge tennis culture that we don't have in Finland. Because they had Bjorn Borg, Wilander, Edberg. They have a good system for tennis, and it gives confidence when they always can product (sic) these players.
Q. In Sweden, they have serious hockey games. How is your hockey? JARKKO NIEMINEN: I have been there twice.
Q. So you've been invited to play? JARKKO NIEMINEN: I was invited twice, yeah.
Q. How did you do? JARKKO NIEMINEN: Second time I did better. I have to say the first time was tough. I was a little bit slow on the ice. But second time I think I scored maybe once.
Q. You didn't get run over by Magnus Larsson, did you? JARKKO NIEMINEN: No, he's fast. He can play really well.
Q. What do you think, is ice hockey the national sport in Finland? JARKKO NIEMINEN: Ice hockey is huge, it's very big. And then, I don't know, ice hockey has been always very popular during my time when I have been ‑‑ I have followed ‑‑ watched ‑‑ I have been following all the sports, and ice hockey is huge in Finland. There are some other winter sports, too, like skiing. I skied. But now soccer is getting bigger, and athletics. We, I think, are improving in many sports, but winter sports are still more popular.
Q. There's a Nieminen or maybe two in the NHL. Any relation? JARKKO NIEMINEN: No, my name, Nieminen, is very common in Finland. I think, yeah, it's third or fourth common name in Finland.
Q. Would Kimi Raikkonen be the most... JARKKO NIEMINEN: Raikkonen? Yeah, probably. Sorry?
Q. The most popular... JARKKO NIEMINEN: Sportsman in Finland, yeah. We always had good ‑‑ have had very good Formula One drivers and rally drivers.
Q. There was a very unfortunate incident during Wimbledon where the President of France was overheard having a conversation with others and made disparaging remarks about Finnish cuisine. He said, "There's only one thing as bad as English food, and that's Finnish food." JARKKO NIEMINEN: Finnish food?
Q. Do you recall that incident? JARKKO NIEMINEN: I don't, no.
Q. Could you defend Finnish cuisine? JARKKO NIEMINEN: Yeah, I defend. Yeah.
Q. What's good to eat in Finland? JARKKO NIEMINEN: We have a lot of fish. Yeah, I think fish is very good in Finland. Actually, I am allergic to all the seafood so I can't eat fish. But I think it's good. We have good fish.
Q. Did you change anything in your game to play today? JARKKO NIEMINEN: I think I played very smart today. I was ‑‑ I think that's my strongest part, I can play like adjust my game, like, even during the match and see how the opponent is playing. Because I was changing the pace and the tempo during the first ‑‑ in the first. It was working very well. Even in the second set it was working. I was changing a little bit. I hit little bit slower and then harder. I think he was missing a lot. That's why he was missing a lot. And then in the beginning of the third, he started to just go for it a little more, struggle a little more. I just started to hit hard and let him play and make the ‑‑ hit the mistake.
Q. You had only played him once before. I haven't seen you use that tactic before. JARKKO NIEMINEN: Well, now it's working really well. I think that's my ‑‑ one of my, like, my best parts, that I can play different games; I can sometimes defend, sometimes play aggressive, and I can play in many different ways. I can change it during a match. When I'm playing well, then it's working.
Q. Being the first Finn to go this far at a Grand Slam tournament, you are talking about the fact that you get media play back at home. Do you feel that on the court, that you're representing Finland in any way, shape or form? JARKKO NIEMINEN: I'm not really thinking that on the court, but otherwise I'm like proud to play also for the country. I mean, of course this is my career and I'm play like for myself, but also I feel that I play for my country. Like we said, there's not too many Finnish players. Finland is anyway a small country, so we don't have too many sportsmen competing around the world.I feel I'm very proud also to play for my country. Yeah, if I can like build up some tennis culture in Finland, that would also be great for the game.
Q. It could cast you in a role as a pioneer. JARKKO NIEMINEN: Yeah, well, I'm trying this.
Q. One of your possible opponents in the next round is Dominik Hrbaty, who is wearing an unusual shirt this week. Perhaps you've seen him in the locker room. Could you offer an opinion on that shirt? JARKKO NIEMINEN: About Hrbaty?
Q. His shirt. JARKKO NIEMINEN: His shirt, I saw the shirt for the first time.
Q. What do you think? JARKKO NIEMINEN: It's, uh... (smiling).
Q. If he was wearing it on court ‑‑ JARKKO NIEMINEN: He's a good player (laughter).
Q. If you had to play him in the next round and he wore that shirt, would you find it a humorous distraction that would keep you from playing the game? JARKKO NIEMINEN: It's only on the back side, so I can't see it.
Q. Well, what if he has to chase a lob or something? JARKKO NIEMINEN: Then I'll try to watch just the ball (smiling).
Q. If you were to play Hewitt, do you have any parts of your game which you think could hurt him? JARKKO NIEMINEN: I think that my, what I said, is my strong point to (assess) the game and changing the pace and the tempo. I think you have to really do that well against Hewitt because if you hit so hard, he's moving great, and just the ball comes hard back and you can't just let him play because he's making you move.So I think I have to play a little bit different, just to take chances when I have to, to come to the net, and sometimes, like, roll the ball with a lot of spin and not hit flat all the time.But, yeah, I don't want to say all the tactics I'm planning to do, but it will be a tough game. He doesn't give anything free, so you have to do something with the ball.
Q. You got a lot of free points today. JARKKO NIEMINEN: Yeah, I got I think ‑‑ well, in the third set I noticed that he wasn't mentally that strong during the first two sets. He was like little bit hopeless, try to hit winners almost from everywhere. That's why I let him in.
Q. Do you feel he changed after you staved off that set point in the tiebreak? JARKKO NIEMINEN: Yeah, that was really important. I already felt in the end of the ‑‑ I knew in the end of the second set, of this set. Of course in any match you feel that leading one set to Love, that the second set is huge to make it two sets to Love or one‑all.But now today it was ‑‑ it meant a lot because he started really to, like, go down from there, second set. I think I just kept well my focus because I noticed that he started to miss more.It's a big match anyway, so I didn't want to think about winning the match in the beginning of the third set. I still had to work a lot for that.
Q. When you were young, did you ever leave the country and go overseas or live in Sweden or live anywhere else for a while? JARKKO NIEMINEN: No, I always lived in Finland. But I have ‑‑ I have been competing a lot in Sweden, and sometimes I have gone there for practice.
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Post by TennisHack on Sept 7, 2005 13:39:39 GMT -5
Nieminen first Finn in Slam quarter Posted: Tuesday September 6, 2005 3:37PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- Playing solid and intelligent tennis, Finland's Jarkko Nieminen made history at the U.S. Open.
Nieminen became the first Finn in the Open era to reach the quarterfinals in a Grand Slam tournament with his 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-3 victory over the error-prone Fernando Verdasco of Spain on Tuesday.
In a battle between the last two left-handers remaining in men's singles, Nieminen patiently kept to his game plan as he continued his remarkable run at the Open.
"I played very smart," Nieminen said. "I changed my game, kept changing the pace. My best part is I can play different games."
The Finn took all the pace off the ball, letting Verdasco provide the power. At times, Verdasco's strokes were brilliant, sharply angled and well-placed. But too many times his shots found either the green surface surrounding the blue courts or the net.
Nieminen made very few errors. But he also took very few chances, instead content on just pushing the ball back, keeping it in play and letting Verdasco self-destruct. The Spaniard did just that.
After losing the second-set tiebreaker and falling behind two sets to none, Verdasco began hitting the ball even harder from both sides, only rarely finding the court. It was all or nothing -- and most times it was the latter as he finished with 66 unforced errors against 45 winners.
Nieminen, on the other hand, had just 14 winners, a perfect balance for his 14 unforced errors.
"The second set was huge," Nieminen said. "I knew at the end of the second set that I could win."
The victory pits Nieminen against third-seeded Lleyton Hewitt, who won the title here four years ago and was runner-up last year. Hewitt downed No. 15 Dominik Hrbaty 6-1, 6-4, 6-2.
Nieminen, who is unseeded, was cunningly crafty, coming up with the perfect tactics against the big-hitting Verdasco. And Verdasco didn't react well, slamming his racket to the ground after losing the second-set tiebreaker.
Verdasco double-faulted the first two points of the sixth game of the final set, falling behind love-30. His hard-hit, cross-court forehand was wide, his 61st unforced error of the match, giving Nieminen a break point.
The Finn cashed in on it when Verdasco slammed another forehand, this one down the line, that was long.
Nieminen held serve twice more, and when Verdasco's last shot sailed long, Finland's top player fell onto his back, his arms outstretched in victory.
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Post by TennisHack on Sept 7, 2005 22:06:27 GMT -5
Jarkko Nieminen - Day 9 USOpen.org Player of the Day Presented by Continental Airlines appears every day on USOpen.org.
It was a jam-packed day of firsts for 24-year-old Jarkko Nieminen of Finland. He defeated Spain's Fernando Verdasco 6-2, 7-6 (6), 6-3. The match was a far cry from the first time the two met on court at the 2003 Wimbledon, when Nieminen won a brutal five-set match 6-7, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Oddly enough, with all the talk from tennis experts about left-handed players being increasingly difficult for righties to beat, Nieminen and Verdasco were the only two southpaws remaining in today's men's draw. Although the tournament began with 15 lefties, this was the only match between two left-handers at the 2005 US Open.
Nieminen played his best today, producing the most impressive results of his tennis career. No. 48 Verdasco, who's three years younger than the Finn, has one title to his name, while No. 57 Nieminen hasn't won any titles since turning pro in 2000. But at 122-93, Nieminen has the better career record of the two. His chances of beating Verdasco Tuesday afternoon looked additionally promising, as he had an 11-8 record against Spanish opponents, 1-1 in Grand Slam play.
Nieminen earned his spot in fourth round by beating Karol Beck in five sets in the first, the third consecutive time in 2005 that his first-round match at a major went to five sets. Follow-up wins over Bjorn Phau and Max Mirnyi placed him in the fourth round, a place in the draw that is bursting with names like Federer, Hewitt and Agassi. It's not an easy place to be if you're an unknown, but Nieminen has a great shot at holding his own if he can remain consistent and not get intimidated. "When I have been playing well," Jarkko said, "I [have] felt that I can really challenge the top guys, and [I've beaten] some of the top 10 guys. So that gives [me] a lot of confidence."
Today's triumph made Nieminen the first Finnish man to reach the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam event, established a new best performance by a Finn at the US Open, and marked the first time a left-hander will compete in the quarterfinals of the US Open since 1997.
Nieminen was already having his best US Open ever when he reached the third round. His other 2005 highlights include reaching two clay-court semifinals, losing in Munich to David Nalbandian and at Stuttgart to Rafael Nadal. But before arriving at the US Open, he had won no more than two consecutive matches at any 2005 hard-court tournament. He's also now won his fourth successive hard-court match in one event for only the second time in his career.
So what's made the difference for Jarrko recently? "I think I played very smart today," he said. "I think that's my strongest part — I can adjust my game, even during the match, and see how the opponent is playing. Sometimes defend, sometimes play aggressive, and I can play in many different ways. I can change it during a match."
Nieminen will plunge himself into uncharted territory once again when he faces No. 3 seed Lleyton Hewitt in the quarterfinals. "It will be a tough battle," Nieminen said. "[Hewitt is] always fighting hard and playing very solid. I'm playing really well at the moment. I almost feel that I'm playing better in every match, and really I have nothing to lose."
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Post by TennisHack on Oct 1, 2005 23:00:37 GMT -5
Jarkko Nieminen of Finland reaches for a backhand shot to world no. 1 Roger Federer of Switzerland during their semifinals match at the Thailand Open tennis tournament at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand Saturday, Oct. 1, 2005. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong) Jarkko Nieminen of Finland hits a backhand to world no. 1 Roger Federer of Switzerland during their semifinals match at the Thailand Open tennis tournament at Impact Arena in Bangkok, Thailand Saturday, Oct. 1, 2005. (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
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