Third-seed Mikhail Youzhny defeated Janko Tipsarevic 6-7(5) 6-0 6-4. Youzhny’s win keeps the title in Russia, where Russians have won the title for six-consecutive years. This is the world no. 30’s first title of the year and sixth-career title.

On the doubles side, third-seeds Pablo Cuevas and Marcel Granollers upset top-seeds Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak 4-6 7-5 10-8. This is their first title together.

Championship Sunday
Singles Final
3 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) def. 6 Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) 6-7(5) 6-0 6-4

Doubles Final
3 P. Cuevas (URU)/M. Granollers (ESP) def. 1 F. Cermak (CZE)/M. Mertinak (SVK) 4-6 7-5 10-8

Saturday’s Results
Singles Semifinals
3 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) def. Q Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) 6-2 6-1
6 Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) def. Q Ilya Marchenko (UKR) 6-1 6-4

Doubles Semifinals
1 F. Cermak (CZE)/M. Mertinak (SVK) def. R. Bopanna (IND)/J. Tipsarevic (SRB) 6-7(5) 7-6(5) 10-6

(Images: AP)

Friday’s Results
Singles Quarterfinals
3 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) def. Q S Stakhovsky (UKR) 6-3 6-93
Q Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) def. 5 Pablo Cuevas (URU) 4-6 6-1 6-4
6 Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) def. Robbie Ginepri (USA) 6-3 6-3
Q Ilya Marchenko (UKR) def. Evgeny Korolev (RUS) 0-6 6-2 6-3

Doubles Semifinals
3 P. Cuevas (URU)/M. Granollers (ESP) def. 2 E. Butorac (USA)/R. Ram (USA)
6-4 6-3

Doubles Quarterfinals
R. Bopanna (IND)/J. Tipsarevic (SRB) def. A. Golubev (KAZ)/E. Korolev (RUS)
7-6(1) 7-5

Saturday’s Matches
Singles Semifinals
3 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) vs. Q Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ)
6 Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) vs. Q Ilya Marchenko (UKR)

Doubles Semifinals
1 F. Cermak (CZE)/M. Mertinak (SVK) vs. R. Bopanna (IND)/J. Tipsarevic (SRB)

Saturday’s Order of Play

Thursday’s Results
Singles Second Round
6 Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) def. Christophe Rochus (BEL) 6-4 2-1 ret. (illness)
Robbie Ginepri (USA) def. Marcel Granollers (ESP) 7-6(5) 6-0
Q Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) def. Wayne Odesnik (USA) 6-3 6-4
Q Ilya Marchenko (UKR) def. Andrey Golubev (KAZ) 6-1 1-6 6-4
E Korolev (RUS) d M Safin (RUS) 6-4 7-6(4)

Doubles Quarterfinals
1 F. Cermak (CZE)/ M. Mertinak (SVK) def. I. Andreev (RUS)/D. Koellerer (AUT) 6-0 6-3
3 P. Cuevas (URU)/M. Granollers (ESP) def. K. Beck (SVK)/F. Polasek (SVK) 6-4 6-2

Friday’s Order of Play

I guess not. After knocking out the top-seed yesterday and opening the draw for himself, Marat Safin played his last Kremlin Cup match today in Moscow. He lost his second-round match to Evgeny Korolev 6-4 7-6(4).

(Image: AP)

Wednesday's Results
Singles Second Round
3 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) def. Potito Starace (ITA) 6-1 6-1
5 Paul Cuevas (URU) def. Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) 3-6 6-1 6-4
Q Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) def. 7 Fabrice Santoro (FRA) 7-5 6-1

Singles First Round
Marat Safin (RUS) def. 1 Nikolay Davydenko (RUS) 4-6 6-4 6-2
Q Ilya Marchenko (UKR) def. Denis Istomin (UZB) 1-6 6-4 4-1 ret. (throat infection)
Evgeny Korolev (RUS) def. Igor Kunitsyn (RUS) 7-6(6) 6-3

Doubles Quarterfinals
2 E. Butorac (USA)/R. Ram (USA) def. M. Vassallo Arguello (ARG)/H. Zeballos (ARG) 6-4 7-5

Doubles First Round
3 P. Cuevas (URU)/M. Granollers (ESP) def. L. Friedl (CZE)/J. Levinsky (CZE) 6-3 3-6 10-6
K. Beck (SVK)/F. Polasek (SVK) def. S. Lipsky (USA)/R. Wassen (NED) 1-6 6-4 10-6
R. Bopanna (IND)/J. Tipsarevic (SRB) def. J. Cerretani (USA)/V. Hanescu (ROU) 7-6(2) 6-2
I. Andreev (RUS)/ D. Koellerer (AUT) def. WC T. Gabashvili (RUS)/A. Manegin (RUS) 4-6 6-2 10-3

Thursday’s Order of Play

Marat Safin upset top-seed Nikolay Davydenko in his first-round matchup with the recent Shanghai champion at the Kremlin Cup. The retiring veteran has not been playing well as of late, but he is always dangerous when he is feeling it. I guess today was one of those days.

The upset marks the fifth exit of the seeded players. Only Mikhail Youzhny, Pable Cuevas and Janko Tipsaravic are left in the draw. With the upset of the top seed, the draw is now wide open on Safin’s side of the draw.

The big Russian now has a good shot at winning his first Kremlin Cup trophy. He will have to get past his second-round match with Anna Kournikova’s cousin, Evgeny Korolev first. The two players have never met in ATP or grand slam competition.

(Image: AP)

Tuesday’s Results
Singles First Round
Wayne Odesnik (USA) def. 2 Victor Hanescu (ROU) 5-7 7-5 6-4 - saved 1 M.P.
Robbie Ginepri (USA) def. 4 Igor Andreev (RUS) 6-3 6-7(9) 7-6(1)
6 Janko Tipsarevic (SRB) def. Daniel Koellerer (AUT) 6-4 6-3
7 Fabrice Santoro (FRA) def. WC Andrey Kuznetsov (RUS) 4-6 6-2 6-2
Andrey Golubev (KAZ) def. 8 Martin Vassallo Arguello (ARG) 7-5 6-3
Q Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR) def. WC Mikhail Biryukov (RUS) 6-0 6-2
Q Mikhail Kukushkin (KAZ) def. Fabio Fognini (ITA) 6-4 5-7 6-4
Christophe Rochus (BEL) def. Marc Gicquel (FRA) 7-5 ret. (sore throat)
Marcel Granollers (ESP) def. Q Nicolas Kiefer (GER) 6-4 1-0 ret. (lower back pain)

Doubles First Round
1 F. Cermak (CZE)/M. Mertinak (SVK) def. F. Santoro (FRA)/M Youzhny (RUS) 7-6(6) 7-5
2 E. Butorac (USA)/R. Ram (USA) def. I. Kunitsyn (RUS)/M. Safin (RUS) 6-2 6-4

Wednesday’s Order of Play

Monday’s Results
Singles First Round
3 Mikhail Youzhny (RUS) def. Horacio Zeballos (ARG) 6-1 7-6(5)
5 Paul Cuevas (URU) def. Yen-Hsun Lu (TPE) 6-4 6-2
Teimuraz Gabashvili (RUS) def. Karol Beck (SVK) 3-6 6-4 6-4
Potito Starace (ITA) def. WC Evgeny Donskoy (RUS) 6-3 6-3

Doubles First Round
A. Golubev (KAZ)/E. Korolev (RUS) def. 4 R. Hutchins (GBR)/H. Tecau (ROU) 7-6(4) 2-6 10-8
M. Vassallo Arguello (ARG)/H. Zeballos (ARG) def. WC I. Belyaev (RUS)/P. Davydenko (RUS) 6-1 6-3

Tuesday’s Order of Play

Nicolas Kiefer returns to the tour after being out with an injury. The current world no. 104 had to qualify for the Kremlin Cup this weekend. He gained entry into the tournament today by beating Russian Dmitri Sitak 6-1 6-4 for one of the four qualifying births.

Kiefer draws a good opponent for his comeback in Spaniard Marcel Granollers for the first round. The two players have never met in ATP or grand slam competition. The other qualifiers are as follows:

. . . And The Kremlin Cup Qualifiers Are . . .
Nicolas Kiefer (GER), Sergiy Stakhovsky (UKR), Mikhail Kukushkin (RUS), Ilya Marchenko (UKR)

. . . And The Stockholm Qualifiers Are . . .
Michael Berrer (GER), Arnaud Clement (FRA), Henri Kontinen (FIN), Frederick Nielsen (DEN)

(Image: AP)

City: Moscow, Russia
Surface: Indoor Hard
Championship Points: 250
2008 Singles Champion: Igor Kunitsyn
2008 Doubles Champions: Sergiy Stakhovsky and Potito Starace

Defending champion, Igor Kunitsyn will defend his title this year. He will participate in the Moscow tournament along with top-seeds Nikolay Davydenko, Victor Hanescu, Mikhail Youzhny, Igor Andreev and Pablo Cuevas. In the 18 years of this tournament, Russians have dominated singles by winning 12 of the 18 titles awarded.

Top-seed Nikolay Davydenko will try to win this title for a fourth time coming off of his win in Shanghai. He will also try to go for his fifth title of the season, thus tying Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray as the top title holders of the year.

Marat Safin will also participate in the tournament for the final time. The veteran has never won this title and was runner up last year. I am sure he will be a sentimental favorite of the crowd. Janko Tipsarevic, Fabio Fognini, Evgeny Korolev and the retiring Fabrice Santoro round out the draw.

Tournament Draw
Singles / Doubles

Monday’s Order of Play

(Image: Kremin Cup)