The “PrivatBank Cup” tournament, which took place in Dnipropetrovsk this year, was an ATP Challenger held from November 15 to 21 on the courts of the “Megaron” tennis club. The main draw of the competition included Romanian Andrei Pavel (23rd in the world ranking), Jiri Novak (24), this year's Kremlin Cup winner Nikolay Davydenko (28), Slovak Karol Beck (56), Sarkis Sargsian (67), last year's tournament winner Irakli Labadze (70), Karol Kucera, who is currently ranked 109th, but several years ago was among the top six players in the world. The battle in Dnipropetrovsk began already at the wild card distribution stage, since players in the top fifty cannot enter “Challenger” series tournaments except via wild cards, of which there were only four. Even before the start of the competition, the tournament set a new record for the average ranking of players in its category – 102. A very representative lineup, unprecedented in our country!
Ukraine was represented by practically all of its strongest players – Sergiy Stakhovsky, Orest Tereshchuk, Sergiy Yaroshenko, Ivan Sergeyev and others, numbering 14 in total. But this time quantity, unfortunately, did not translate into quality. In the first round of qualifying, Orest Tereshchuk sensationally lost, some Ukrainians competed against each other, and in the end only Sergiy Stakhovsky made it into the main draw of the competition.
On the first day of the tournament's main draw, several seeded players were eliminated from further competition – Karol Beck in particular, and Russian Igor Andreev. But the most pleasant development for the Ukrainian spectator and fan was the end of Irakli Labadze's run. In an extremely dramatic match, he was stopped by Sergiy Stakhovsky, who then, riding the wave of success, defeated Russian Gabashvili and even reached the quarterfinals.
Here it should be noted that thanks to these victories, Sergiy made a rapid leap of more than 100 places in the ATP ranking and became Ukraine's No. 1 player. Even such masters as Jiri Novak, Nikolay Davydenko and Sarkis Sargsian did not reach the quarterfinals. The first two lost rather inexplicably to the tournament's solid mid-level players Sluiter and Zib, but Sargsian can be proud of the brilliant show he lost to Karol Kucera. Many experts and fans rated this match as the best of the tournament.
Unfortunately, that was where the sensations ended. Stakhovsky stubbornly and honorably resisted the incomparably more experienced Ramon Sluiter of the Netherlands, but lost the first set in a tiebreak, and in the second he simply ran out of strength. But this stage of the tournament is a repeat of Orest Tereshchuk's achievement from last year and a great success for the 18-year-old No. 1 player of the country. We hope for future achievements. All the quarterfinal results are as follows:
Andrei Pavel (Romania) - Kevin Kim (USA) - 6:3; 6:0; Roko Karanusic (Croatia) - Igor Kunitsyn (Russia) - 7:5; 6:3; Karol Kucera (Slovakia) - Tomas Zib (Czech Republic) - 6:3; 6:3; Ramon Sluiter (Netherlands) - Sergiy Stakhovsky (Ukraine) - 7:6(6); 6:3.
In the semifinals, the favorites won: Andrei Pavel (Romania) - Roko Karanusic (Croatia) - 7:5; 6:3; Karol Kucera (Slovakia) - Ramon Sluiter (Netherlands) - 3:6; 6:3; 7:5.
Unfortunately, the final did not take place. Karol Kucera suffered an injury in the semifinal match and withdrew from the final. Thus, top seed Andrei Pavel won the tournament. To compensate for the absence of the final, the competition organizers presented the numerous spectators with an exhibition match between Pavel and Davydenko. Judging by the audience's reaction, this move justified itself 100 percent.
The doubles tournament was won by the Czech-Slovak duo Jaroslav Levinsky/Karol Beck. In a tense final, where $18,000 and 90 ranking points were at stake, they defeated Romanians Pavel and Trifu 6-7(4), 7-6(4), 7-5(2). The score and the duration – a tournament-record two and a half hours – are vivid testimony to the character of the match.
That concluded the competition; we hope to meet again next year.