Ukrainian beats Haas in final marred by rain
Unlike most of the tall, broad-shouldered, baseball-cap-wearing, power players who populated the Citi Open, Alexandr Dolgopolov of the Ukraine brought a delicate look to William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center in Rock Creek Park.
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At 6 feet and 160 pounds and with his hair pulled back in a short ponytail, Dolgopolov bore none of the earmarks of tennis’ new breed. There’s no doubt, however, about his powerful game.
In the rain-delayed Citi Open finals Sunday, Dolgopolov outlasted the weather and one of those more prototypical power players, fourth-seeded Tommy Haas of Germany, 6-7 (7), 6-4, 6-1 to win for the second time on the ATP Tour.
The victory completed a dominant week for Dolgopolov, who didn’t lose a set in the first four rounds and might not have lost one at all in the tournament if it wasn’t for a pair of lengthy rain delays. The match ended more than five hours after it started and before no more than 300 fans.
If anyone figured to struggle after the delays, it was the 34-year-old Haas, recently coming off 15 months of inactivity following hip and shoulder miseries. But Dolgopolov was the one grasping for his game shortly after play resumed in the first set.
In an error-filled first-set tiebreaker, Dolgopolov let a lob go that he could have reached, and it dropped in the corner for a winner for Haas, who wrapped up the set a point later.
The second set was on serve and apparently headed for another tiebreaker when Dolgopolov broke Haas for the first time and only the second in the tournament to win the second set.
Demoralized, Haas had nothing left in the final set, screaming in two languages and putting up little resistance against the 125 mph serves dealt by Dolgopolov.
The match finished more than eight hours after the doubles finals began. It ended in a storybook finish for St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes graduate Treat Huey.
Each year as a boy, Huey came to Rock Creek Park to watch the players he idolized. On Sunday, Huey took his place among them, winning the Citi Open doubles title.
Huey, who grew up in Alexandria, combined with former University of Virginia teammate Dominic Inglot to topple 6-8 South African Kevin Anderson and 6-6 American Sam Querrey in a super tiebreaker 7-6 (7), 6-7 (9), 10-5.
It is the first ATP title for Huey and Inglot. In April, they reached the finals in Houston but lost to James Blake and Querrey.
It has been a summer to remember for Huey, 26, who joined the Washington Kastles as a replacement player last month and helped the local World TeamTennis franchise complete a second straight perfect regular season.
In the decisive super tiebreaker, Huey’s drop shot at the net made it 9-5. Then on match point, Querrey couldn’t handle Huey’s first serve. Huey and Inglot celebrated with a leaping chest bump.
