haas in memphis
I hope his shoulder holds up. He could put up a good hardcourt season this summer. Anyone want to get Mercedez Benz Cup tickets with me?
i like him better with his ponytail.
By TERESA M. WALKER, AP Sports Writer
February 26, 2006
AP - Feb 26, 4:45 pm EST
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Tommy Haas didn't give himself much time to celebrate his second straight tournament title and ninth of his career.
After defeating Robin Soderling of Sweden 6-3, 6-2 Sunday in the Regions Morgan Keegan championships, Haas got ready to go to Las Vegas for his next event starting Monday.
"So you don't have too much time to let it sink in. Obviously, I'm feeling very happy, and I'm really proud of myself. But you know, you look ahead again and try to do something again that you want to achieve," Haas said.
"I'd like to just continue the way I'm playing. Being focused, working hard the way I have and just enjoying it. And the most important is just to be injury-free."
Injuries helped drop the German from No. 2 in the world in May 2002 out of the top 10.
He missed a month last year after spraining his right ankle by stepping on a ball at Wimbledon, and he missed all of 2003 with two operations on his right rotator cuff.
He has stayed healthy this year, and is 17-3 in match play and tied with Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia for best on the ATP Tour. His only losses have been to world No. 1 Roger Federer -- twice -- and a five-setter to Richard Gasquet in a Davis Cup tie with France earlier this month.
With his victory at Delray Beach, he has consecutive titles for the first time since 2001 when he won Vienna and Stuttgart. Eight of his titles, including twice here at The Racquet Club, have come on hard courts.
"I really played solid, and I'm really happy to win this title again," said Haas, whose first title came here in 1999.
Haas might have benefited from having fresher legs compared to Soderling. Haas needed 54 minutes in his semifinal, while the Swede survived a three-set tiebreaker to advance.
"He was simply too good," Soderling said. "I didn't play my best match of the tournament. I still think the way I played today, I could've beaten a lot of guys in this tournament. But he was just too good."
Haas, who came in ranked 30th, looked much more like the player once No. 2 in the world as he took 57 minutes to dispatch Soderling even though he struggled with his serve at times despite eight aces.
The German double-faulted three times, including twice in his first two service games. He settled in and went up 3-2 with a 123 mph ace that prompted him to yell, "Yes."
He broke Soderling to go up 4-2 in a game that included a flurry at the net in which Haas dropped a shot that hit the net and spilled over only to see Soderling flip it back over. Haas raced back and hit a backhand that went over Soderling for a winner.
Soderling had four chances to break Haas in the second set only to watch the German fight off each one. Soderling then failed to score a point off his own serve as Haas broke him to go up 2-1, and he sealed his victory by breaking him again to go up 4-1.
"Every time he did have a chance, I served really well and played really well on the big points," Haas said.
i like him better with his ponytail.
By TERESA M. WALKER, AP Sports Writer
February 26, 2006
AP - Feb 26, 4:45 pm EST
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- Tommy Haas didn't give himself much time to celebrate his second straight tournament title and ninth of his career.
After defeating Robin Soderling of Sweden 6-3, 6-2 Sunday in the Regions Morgan Keegan championships, Haas got ready to go to Las Vegas for his next event starting Monday.
"So you don't have too much time to let it sink in. Obviously, I'm feeling very happy, and I'm really proud of myself. But you know, you look ahead again and try to do something again that you want to achieve," Haas said.
"I'd like to just continue the way I'm playing. Being focused, working hard the way I have and just enjoying it. And the most important is just to be injury-free."
Injuries helped drop the German from No. 2 in the world in May 2002 out of the top 10.
He missed a month last year after spraining his right ankle by stepping on a ball at Wimbledon, and he missed all of 2003 with two operations on his right rotator cuff.
He has stayed healthy this year, and is 17-3 in match play and tied with Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia for best on the ATP Tour. His only losses have been to world No. 1 Roger Federer -- twice -- and a five-setter to Richard Gasquet in a Davis Cup tie with France earlier this month.
With his victory at Delray Beach, he has consecutive titles for the first time since 2001 when he won Vienna and Stuttgart. Eight of his titles, including twice here at The Racquet Club, have come on hard courts.
"I really played solid, and I'm really happy to win this title again," said Haas, whose first title came here in 1999.
Haas might have benefited from having fresher legs compared to Soderling. Haas needed 54 minutes in his semifinal, while the Swede survived a three-set tiebreaker to advance.
"He was simply too good," Soderling said. "I didn't play my best match of the tournament. I still think the way I played today, I could've beaten a lot of guys in this tournament. But he was just too good."
Haas, who came in ranked 30th, looked much more like the player once No. 2 in the world as he took 57 minutes to dispatch Soderling even though he struggled with his serve at times despite eight aces.
The German double-faulted three times, including twice in his first two service games. He settled in and went up 3-2 with a 123 mph ace that prompted him to yell, "Yes."
He broke Soderling to go up 4-2 in a game that included a flurry at the net in which Haas dropped a shot that hit the net and spilled over only to see Soderling flip it back over. Haas raced back and hit a backhand that went over Soderling for a winner.
Soderling had four chances to break Haas in the second set only to watch the German fight off each one. Soderling then failed to score a point off his own serve as Haas broke him to go up 2-1, and he sealed his victory by breaking him again to go up 4-1.
"Every time he did have a chance, I served really well and played really well on the big points," Haas said.