Football
Reuters 18y

Tennis-Robredo beats Stepanek for Hamburg Masters crown

HAMBURG, Germany, May 21 - Spain's Tommy Robredo
won his first Masters Series title on Sunday, defeating Czech
Radek Stepanek 6-1 6-3 6-3 in a one-sided final in Hamburg.

The Barcelona-based eighth seed, twice a French Open
quarter-finalist, broke Stepanek twice in each of the first two
sets and then smashed a backhand winner down the line to grab
the crucial break in the third for a 5-3 lead.

With the umbrella-like retractable roof closed to protect
the clay of centre court from the rain, Robredo gained the upper
hand over the 15th seed with a slew of thumping passing shots
and skillful top-spin lobs.

Dressed in a black and white striped ice-hockey umpire's
shirt, Stepanek had chances to break the Spaniard in all three
sets but could not quite produce the form that had taken him to
the final without dropping a set.

^ Back to Top ^