AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Englishman Greg Rusedski was
stretched to three sets for the fifth consecutive time before
beating Jerome Golmard 6-7 (0), 6-4, 7-5 Saturday in the Heineken
Open for his 11th career title.
"Going three sets is nothing," said Rusedski, who maintained
his unbeaten record in five matches against the unseeded Frenchman.
The Auckland title was Rusedski's first since March 2001 when he
beat Andre Agassi 6-3, 6-4 to win the Sybase Open in San Jose,
Calif.
Rusedski, seeded sixth, went the distance in all of his matches
in Auckland, beating Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic in a
three-set quarterfinal and ousting fifth-seed Jiri Novak after
dropping a set in the semifinals. He attributed his success in
three-setters to an intense preseason fitness regime.
Rusedski dropped the first set after a rain-delayed start,
forcing Golmard to a tiebreak in which he failed to secure a point.
He gained a crucial service break to level the match in the second
set then squeezed past the left-handed Golmard in a tight deciding
set.
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