Brisbane International Tennis - Australian Open Series

Defending champ Stepanek into final

AAP/Image: SMP Images Saturday 9 January 2010 1 Comment »

Leaving yet another injured player in his wake, tennis ironman Radek Stepanek kept his Brisbane International title defence on track in emphatic fashion on Saturday.

And the second-seeded Czech also kept up his unforgiving stance on “injured” opponents after brushing aside an out-of-sorts Gael Monfils 6-2 6-1 in an hour-long semifinal.

The defending champion will meet the winner of Saturday’s other semifinal between top seed Andy Roddick and fourth-seeded Czech Tomas Berdych on Sunday.

World No.12 Stepanek was merciless against Monfils after the third-seeded Frenchman appeared to switch off while nursing a shoulder injury.

At 31, Stepanek is one of the oldest players on tour – and one of the fittest.

So it was no surprise Stepanek wasn’t tolerating any excuses following his semifinal demolition job.

In the previous two rounds, Stepanek all-but rolled his eyes when opponents received treatment on court before having a go at them at the post-match press conference.

While Monfils had his right shoulder strapped, Stepanek preferred to describe his semifinal win as a “mental” victory.

“Everybody has small issues every week and in our first tournament already people are receiving treatment,” Stepanek said.

“But I don’t think anyone I played, it [injury] affected the match.”

“When I broke him [Monfils] to go 4-0 up in the second set … I think he knew breaking me twice to get back into the match would be a very difficult thing.

“I think I also broke him mentally then. Mental toughness – that’s 80 per cent of the game.”

The former world No.8 may have made his professional debut way back in 1996 but he appears to have found a second wind, judging by the glint in his eye ahead of the final.

“I am 31 years young,” he said with a wink.

“I am using my experience against guys who are like 20, that can help me, but it is important to be physically fit.

“I am experienced, physically fit and playing a different game to the others – that is my advantage.”

World No.13 Monfils – eight years younger than Stepanek – said he hoped to be fully fit for the Australian Open.

Asked about the semifinal, a nonchalant Monfils said: “It’s okay, it’s just a match.

“I tried to fight, but then my shoulder was sore.

“And before the match I decided not to kill my shoulder, I have a goal in one week’s time [Australian Open].

“But Radek deserved to win.”

Monfils said he would decide in the “next few days” whether to contest next week’s Sydney International, where he has a first-round bye.

“It has been 10 days of pain now,” Monfils said.

“Maybe I need two or three days off without tennis, hopefully it will be much better.”

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Tags: Gael Monfils, Radek Stepanek

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